VEAZIE – Persistent police found a missing mattress last week and arrested a local man suspected of raping a juvenile on it in October.

Robert Seeley, 26, who lives in Greystone Trailer Park off State Street, allegedly raped a teenage girl at his home and attempted to hide evidence from police by removing his mattress, Veazie Police Chief Mark Leonard said Monday.

“He [Seeley] provided three separate mattresses before we were able to track it down ourselves,” he said.

Seeley, who has a criminal history and is “well-known to us,” was charged with gross sexual assault, a Class A felony, and falsifying physical evidence, a Class D crime, Leonard said.

The brutality of the crime is what led officials to charge Seeley with the Class A offense, the chief said, adding, “It rose to that level.”

If convicted of the Class A felony, Seeley would face a penalty of up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000.

Seeley was arrested around 3:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21, and taken to Penobscot County Jail, but was released from 3rd District Court in Bangor on Monday, a jail official said.

The original report was made Nov. 10. Seeley was arrested “after many hours and days of investigation,” Leonard said.

nricker@bangordailynews.net

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