BRISTOL — A Bristol man on Monday pleaded innocent in Addison County Superior Court, criminal division, to a felony count of sexual assault without consent, stemming from allegations that he had non-consensual sex earlier this month with a woman described by authorities as being of “diminished mental capacity.”
Andrew A. Carter, 42, was ordered held for lack of $25,000 bail as he answers to a charge that carries a potential punishment of three years to life in prison and up to a $25,000 fine.
A court affidavit prepared by investigating Vermont State Police Trooper Adria C. Pickin of the New Haven barracks indicates the complaint against Carter was filed by Adult Protective Services (APS) on Aug. 8. An APS officials told state police that the victim in this case had the mental capacity of a 10-year-old, according to court records.
Pickin interviewed the victim — also a Bristol resident — who alleged that Carter had come into her house and had sexual intercourse with her without her consent, according to the affidavit. The victim told police she did not know what the word “consent” meant and she did not know what could potentially happen when a person has sex, according to court records.
The victim told police that Carter’s expression for sex was “jack rabbit” and that she had told him, “I don’t want to play that game,” according to the affidavit. She told police that “while it was happening, I couldn’t say anything. Afterwards, he brought me candy and chips to keep me quiet,” according to court records.
The woman alleged that Carter has sexually assaulted her “several times,” according to the affidavit.
Carter told state police that he had known the woman for 10 to 12 years, that “she’s not totally disabled,” and that he had visited her at her house to watch television, according to the affidavit. He alleged that he had asked the woman if “she wanted to have a little fun,” and claimed she did not decline, which he said led to a consensual sexual encounter, according to court records.
Carter’s prior criminal record includes a variety of offenses, including petit larceny, burglary, grand larceny, unlawful trespass, driving under the influence, driving with a suspended license, possession of marijuana, and taking game by illegal means.