Lincoln County Sheriff’s Deputy Kenneth Hatch, arrested in July on sexual abuse charges, was indicted by a grand jury in Knox County on Aug. 9 on 22 charges. The charges follow a four-month investigation by the Maine Attorney General’s Office.

The charges include 11 counts of Sexual Abuse of Minors, Class C; eight counts of Aggravated Furnishing of Schedule Z Drugs (marijuana), Class C; and three counts of Unlawful Sexual Contact. One of these is a Class C charge. The other two are Class B.

Hatch was expected in court for his arraignment in Wiscasset on Aug. 25. However, according to the Lincoln County Clerk, there has been a change of venue, and the arraignment will take place in Rockland. The Knox County Clerk said that the arraignment is scheduled for Aug. 23. Hatch remains free on an unsecured bail of $50,000.

After the initial arrest, two more young people alleged abuse by Hatch. Those new charges were included in the Knox County indictment. One of the allegations involved abuse when the child was younger than 14. Additional charges also stemmed from the original complainant’s affidavit, alleging abuse when the victim was younger than 12.

Immediately following the indictment, Hatch’s employment status with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office was changed to indefinite leave without pay, pending the outcome of an internal investigation, Sheriff Todd Brackett said in a press release Monday, Aug. 15. Hatch had been on administrative leave with pay since June 16.

The press release said an internal investigation to determine what Sheriff’s Office policy violations may have been committed is pending following the conclusion of the AG’s criminal investigation.

“The fact of the indictment, regardless of the ultimate determination of guilt or innocence, means that Mr. Hatch cannot work as a deputy sheriff.  As to the substance, the allegations are plainly very serious and I am treating them that way. As soon as the AG’s Office has finished its investigation, which I understand is still ongoing, I will launch my own inquiry by engaging an outside law enforcement agency to investigate the matter independently on behalf of the Sheriff’s Office. Public trust is crucial to our success as (a) public safety provider and I want to make sure this matter is handled as transparently as possible,” Brackett states in the release.

“It will take some time for this matter to be resolved by the court. However, I want to be very clear that should the internal investigation provide information that substantiates criminal conduct or serious violations of Department policies, or if a conviction is handed down, I will deal with the matter swiftly and appropriately. These allegations, if true, fly in the face of everything myself, my staff and the Sheriff’s Office stand for,”  Brackett said.