Spofford man receives suspended sentences on criminal restraint, assault charges
Sep. 3—A Spofford man has received suspended sentences after pleading guilty to felony charges of criminal restraint and second-degree assault for confining and harming a girl in 2019, when he was 17.
A grand jury last year last year indicted Devin Skahan, now 21, on four counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault in Cheshire County Superior Court.
Judge Jacki Smith sentenced him Monday to 3 1/2 to 7 years in state prison on an amended charge of criminal restraint and one year in jail on an amended charge of second-degree assault, according to court documents. Both sentences, which are concurrent to one another, were suspended in full on the condition Skahan maintain good behavior.
The criminal restraint conviction states he confined the girl unlawfully, exposing her to risk of serious bodily injury, and the second-degree assault conviction states he caused serious bodily injury, in the form of psychological trauma, by placing his body parts in hers, according to court records.
"I used to be able to see the good in everybody but now I look at everybody as a bad person until they have proven themselves to be a good person," the victim said in a statement shared with The Sentinel by her mother, who said prosecutors read the statement aloud in court Monday.
As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors dropped the charges of aggravated felonious sexual assault, according to court documents. Skahan has been ordered to have no contact with the victim.
In a statement emailed Friday, Skahan's lawyer, Richard Guerriero, said the outcome was the best compromise for everyone involved.
"Devin was not an adult at the time of this incident. He was only 17 years old," Guerriero said. "He is grateful for the consideration of the prosecution, the witnesses, and especially the court. He accepted responsibility for his conduct."
Ryan Spencer can be reached at 352-1234, extension 1412, or rspencer@keenesentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter at @rspencerKS