South Portland -- West Bath resident Wayne Havey, 60, was found guilty of attempted gross sexual assault Thursday following a two day jury trial in Cumberland County Superior Court.
Havey was arrested last January following an Internet sting organized by the South Portland Police Department and Perverted Justice, a watchdog group that works to catch sexual predators online.
The police arrested Havey when he arrived at a predetermined location to have sexual relations with who he believed was a 13 year old female from the South Portland area. The person who he had been in contact with online was in fact a Perverted Justice volunteer posing as a minor.
This case is the second Perverted Justice related arrest that has gone to trial and has resulted in a guilty verdict. Both were prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Matthew Tice.
"When you read the blogs of (Havey's) chats, a guilty verdict is not a surprise," Tice said.
Although he has not yet determined how much jail time the prosecution will request for Havey, he said it will be a "significant portion" of the maximum sentance for a Class B crime – 10 years. The defendant will also have severe restrictions on computer use and must register as a sex offender for life.
A date for the sentencing trial has not been set.
