ROCKLAND — A Virginia man who is accused of sexually assaulting a Rockland woman made his initial appearance in Knox County Court Jan. 24.

Joel Becker, 73, of Norfolk, Virginia, was arrested Jan. 18 by Rockland police and charged with unlawful sexual contact and unlawful sexual touching.

At the Jan. 24 hearing, Judge Andrew Robinson set Becker’s bail at $5,000 cash with no third-party bail allowed. Becker was ordered by the state to sign a Maine Pre-Trial Contract, be on supervised release and not have any contact with the victim as the conditions of his bail.

According to the affidavit filed in court by Rockland police, a Rockland woman said that Becker had been a friend for several years and was in the area to do some repairs at her home.

The victim reported to police that when he came downstairs from his project work on Jan. 17, she pretended to be asleep when he “groped her” and sexually assaulted her before he left. She said that she had not acquiesced to the sexual contact.

Police said that Becker voiced his disbelief after they told him the woman reported that she pretended to be asleep during the assault, according to the affidavit.

Becker told police that he had been friends with the woman for over 30 years and they had a consensual sexual relationship. He suggested that she may have taken some medication that caused her to be in deeper sleep since he said she was difficult to wake up.

The woman said that in August 2022 she told Becker she did not want a relationship and wanted to remain friends.

The victim described in the affidavit to, “not believing what was happening to her and that at one point she believes she disassociated.”

Becker is scheduled to appear in court on April 13 for a dispositional conference.

Reach Sarah Shepherd at news@penbaypilot.com