Teacher pleads not guilty in sex crime Kittery man accused of unlawful contact with 16-year-old math student

SKOWHEGAN – A number of high-profile defendants indicted by the grand jury in December pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Somerset County Superior Court, including a teacher accused of raping a student, an inmate allegedly involved in a murder-for-hire scheme, and an Embden man accused of 26 counts of burglary.

James Morel, 25, formerly of Pittsfield and now living in Kittery, pleaded not guilty to three counts of gross sexual assault on a former 16-year-old high school student when he was a math teacher in 2003 at Maine Central Institute in Pittsfield, Assistant District Attorney James Mitchell said.

Morel has not hired an attorney yet, and no trial date has been set, Mitchell said.

Morel appeared in Skowhegan District Court in late September to answer to the charges, which only involve the single student. At the time of the hearing, Mitchell told the judge that “this is a full confession case,” but acknowledged Tuesday that Morel is now seeking a trial.

Also pleading not guilty Tuesday was Victor Frascone, 29, of Fairfield, charged with criminal solicitation to commit murder, criminal solicitation to commit elevated aggravated assault on a pregnant person, and unlawful trafficking in drugs.

Frascone remains at the Somerset County Jail on domestic assault charges involving his wife. While an inmate, he allegedly began a series of telephone conversations last October with Somerset County Detective Lt. Carl Gottardi in which he reportedly hired Gottardi to kill his pregnant wife in exchange for drugs.

Frascone did not know he was dealing with a police officer and directed Gottardi to pick up prescription drugs at Frascone’s Fairfield home.

This is the first case in the state of Maine in which the charges of aggravated assault are elevated because the targeted person was pregnant.

Jason Colcord, 28, of Palmyra pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated assault, two counts of assault and terrorizing after he allegedly beat his stepfather on Nov. 30 at the family home in Palmyra. Colcord fled the scene but was apprehended the next day in Newport.

Also entering a not guilty plea was Honore Dube, 31, of Embden, charged with a four-year burglary spree across Somerset County that involved dozens of camps and homes. He is charged with 26 counts of burglary, 28 counts of theft, two counts of burglary of a motor vehicle and receiving stolen property.

Last Friday, Russell Howell, 19, pleaded not guilty to charges of manslaughter, aggravated assault and reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon after he was arrested the day before in New Hampshire and extradited.

Howell was the driver of a car on May 9 on Route 2 in Canaan that was allegedly in the passing lane when it crested a hill and struck a pickup truck head on, killing Carole Goodridge, 63, who was a passenger inside.

Howell remains in Somerset County Jail on bail of $10,000 cash or $50,000 surety.

Trials for all defendants are expected to be set for the spring.