ROCKLAND —  A former employee at a local hotel in Rockport remains in the Knox County Jail, being held on $15,000 cash bail for allegedly assaulting and trying to strangle a woman in a hotel room.

Kelcey Hart, 38, was arrested on Aug. 21 by the Knox County Sheriff’s Office and charged with two counts of elevated aggravated assault and one count of violation of condition of release.

He appeared before Judge Patricia Worth in Knox County Unified Court on Aug. 23. His bail was set at $15,000 cash.

Hart was the former director of the hotel’s fitness center. He was suspended from working at the resort on Aug. 21, according to the police affidavit.

The assault allegedly occurred in a hotel room where Hart was staying. Hart and the victim had been out during the evening at a Rockland tavern and then returned to the room, according to the affidavit filed by Knox County Sheriff’s Office Detective Dwight Burtis.

The victim was interviewed by police at Pen Bay Medical Center in Rockport Aug. 21. Burtis reported that the victim’s face was very swollen and she could hardly open her eyes which were filled with blood, according to the affidavit.

Additionally, the victim had multiple bruises on her neck and arms, a large lump on her forehead, and swelling to her chin.

She told police what details she could remember, including that she could not breathe during the attack like she was being strangled. Police determined that Hart used a strap to injure the victim, according to the affidavit.

Police collected a number of items of from the hotel room as evidence including a comforter with blood on it and a pillow case.

At the time of the alleged assault on Aug. 21, there was a protection from abuse order against Hart issued in Portland Maine Superior Court in Jan. 2017 with another woman. Hart violated the protection from abuse order and is scheduled to appear in Portland Superior Court Sept. 25 for that charge.

Sgt. Jim Moore and Officer Travis Ford of the Rockland Police Department also assisted with the investigation.

Hart will appear in court again on September 28.

Reach Sarah Shepherd at news@penbaypilot.com