Two Arrests in One Week for a Man on Maine’s Sex Offender List

A man who is currently on Maine's Sex Offender Registry was arrested twice in less than a week after allegedly assaulting two minors.

For How Long Is the Suspect Required to Register As a Sex Offender?

Christopher Cates, 48, of Bingham is listed on the Maine Sex Offender Registry as a Tier III, which means he is a lifetime registrant and is required, by law, to update his information with law enforcement. That information includes things like the registrant's name, current address, any aliases they use, a current photo, and employment status.

What Prompted the First Arrest in This Case?

On Monday, September 25th, 2023, Cates was arrested for allegedly assaulting two young girls and, according to WGME-TV, was charged with unlawful sexual contact, visual sexual aggression of a child, unlawful sexual touching, and indecent conduct. The assaults allegedly happened earlier this year in the town of Moscow.

Why Was He Out of Jail for the Second Offense?

Four days later, on Friday, September 29th, Cates was arrested again. According to the Morning Sentinel, investigators had learned that he was allegedly contacting the people involved in the sexual assault case, allegedly tampering with the victims and potential witnesses, which was in violation of his bail conditions.

At the time of the second arrest, Cates had been released from the Somerset County Jail in Madison on $25,000 cash bail.

Cates has a long history of sexual crimes, convicted of at least seven sex offenses in a 10-year period, including for unlawful sexual conduct and prohibited contact with a child under the age of 14. WGME-TV reports his last conviction was in 2021. As of Monday, he remained incarcerated at the Somerset County Jail.