An Epsom man has pleaded not guilty to three felony counts of sexual assault against a minor.
Christopher Waitkus, 36, of 4 A St. is accused of fondling a 9-year-old girl while they were swimming in a river.
The girl said Waitkus had touched her chest and her genitals over two separate occasions โ on June 13 and June 14 โ both over and under her bathing suit, according to an arrest affidavit.
Waitkus told police in two interviews that any inappropriate contact had been unintentional. According to the affidavit, he said โat one point he had her under the arm pits and was throwing her, playing and he realized that his hands had slipped and were on her breasts not under her arms and he moved them right away.โ He also said that his โfinger accidentally got caught in her bathing suit,โ but not in the area of her genitals.
The girlโs mother first called police June 26, after her daughter disclosed the incident upon returning from a trip. Waitkus was arrested June 30.
He has been assigned a public defender. A judge has set cash-only bail at $25,000.
(Lola Duffort can be reached at 369-3321 or lduffort@cmonitor.com.)