CARIBOU — A Caribou man will spend the next 12 years in prison after being convicted for six sex charges filed against him by three women, all whom were under the age of 16 at the time of the 2002 – 03 incidents.
Justice E. Allen Hunter sentenced Ralph Nichols, 48, proprietor of Nichols Electric, on Jan. 24 in Aroostook County Superior Court in Caribou; Nichols pleaded no contest and was found guilty of three counts of Class B unlawful sexual contact, Class B gross sexual assault, Class C unlawful sexual contact and Class A gross sexual assault.
According to Assistant District Attorney John Pluto, one of Nichols’ victims came forward to officers of the Caribou Police Department in 2008.
“Initially, Mr. Nichols indicated that he wanted to go to trial,” Pluto said. “We selected a jury earlier [in January], but he decided instead to plead no contest to the charges. After he entered the plea he was found guilty.”
According to Caribou Police Chief Michael Gahagan, Nichols had been out on bail for two years and checking in with the department twice daily until three days before the trial; on Jan. 21 Nichols violated the conditions of a protection order against him when he tried to contact one of his victims; he was promptly arrested by Caribou Police Officers.
For his crimes, Nichols was sentenced to 22 years in prison with all but 12 years suspended. After his imprisonment, Nichols will be on probation for six years and a lifetime registrant on the state’s sex offender registry.
