Ex-UM student pleads guilty to assault

BANGOR – A former University of Maine student and rape awareness advocate on campus pleaded guilty in Penobscot County Superior Court on Thursday to two counts of assault and was sentenced to 45 days in jail.

Oscar Sparrow, 24, originally was charged with sexual abuse of a minor and furnishing alcohol to a minor, stemming from incidents that occurred on campus last spring. The charges were reduced in a plea bargain, according to Assistant District Attorney Alice Clifford.

As a result of the plea bargain, Sparrow, who withdrew as a student at UMaine in August, will not be required to register as a sexual offender. The sexual assault charges stemmed from an incident involving a 15-year-old female, according to a court official.

During court Thursday, Sparrow was fined $500 for a disorderly conduct conviction that stemmed from a fight outside an Old Town bar May 2. A condition of his release on the disorderly conduct charge was that Sparrow commit no additional criminal acts. However, after being caught with a minor consuming alcohol in Estabrooke Hall by campus police on June 8, he was arrested for violating the conditions of his release. Four days later he was charged with sexual abuse of a minor.

Justice Joseph Jabar sentenced Sparrow on Thursday to 20 days in jail for violation of his release and another 45 days for the assault charges. The charges are to be served concurrently.

Sparrow is to turn himself in to Penobscot Country Jail on Oct. 17 to start serving his 45-day sentence.

Greg Sinnett, president of Sigma Phi Epsilon, said the fraternity is saddened that one of its former members has been charged with a criminal act. Sparrow is a founding member of the fraternity and was president of the rape advocacy group Brothers Engaged Against Rape, a UMaine branch of the national Men Can Stop Rape organization.

“Oscar hasn’t been affiliated with us for quite some time,” said Sinnett. “This is clearly a tragedy and clearly newsworthy, but at the same time, the stuff Sigma Phi Epsilon is doing with rape awareness, and also with domestic abuse, is obviously completely contrary to actions Oscar took. For over a year Oscar has had no affiliation with either Sig Ep or BEAR.”

Sinnett said Sparrow disassociated himself from the fraternity in October 2002.

“The irony is that Oscar was involved in these programs and then obviously his actions are not becoming,” he said.

Sigma Phi Epsilon is host to an annual Rock Against Rape concert and fund-raiser at UMaine to raise awareness of rape issues on campuses across the country.

“Rape awareness is one of Sigma Phi Epsilon’s primary missions,” Sinnett said. “Sigma Phi Epsilon stands firmly against all forms of sexual assault.”