CAMDEN — A former teacher at an independent school in Camden was arrested Dec. 22 for allegedly sexually assaulting a student over a decade ago.

Clifford J. Barnes, 34, who previously lived in Camden before relocating to Canby, Oregon, is charged with four counts of gross sexual assault, one count of unlawful sexual touching, and one count of unlawful sexual contact.

Barnes made his initial appearance in Knox County Court on December 27. Judge Eric Walker set bail at $15,000 cash with no third-party bail allowed. Barnes will be on supervised release, must follow a Maine Pretrial Contract, and cannot have any contact with children under the age of 18 except his own child.

An affidavit filed by Camden Police in Knox County Court states that the victim went to the Camden Police Station in October 2023 to report the sexual misconduct. The alleged assaults occurred from November 2013 through the mid part of 2014.

The victim was 16 when the assaults began while she was attending the Wayfinder School in Camden, documents said. Barnes was employed by the school as a teacher and overnight counselor.

The woman told police that Barnes started flirting with her, they began texting, and he asked for pictures. Their encounters became sexual and occurred three to four times a week at his residence in Camden and in the school’s staff room. She said that Barnes told her that she would not graduate, and he would go to jail if she reported the incidents to police, according to the affidavit.

Initially the woman reported the assaults to Camden Police in 2017 but was not ready to move forward with the complaint at that time, court documents said.

Erica Gates, Head of Schools for Wayfinder, issued a statement Jan. 2: “Wayfinder has been made aware of the reporting on a former teacher being charged with assault,” she said. “Wayfinder has placed, and continues to place, the safe education of its students at the forefront of its mission. We will comply with any requests from law enforcement for information and will cooperate in any investigation. We have no further comment at this time as we, like law enforcement, are gathering information.”

Barnes is scheduled to appear in court again on Feb. 29.

Reach Sarah Shepherd at news@penbaypilot.com