ROCKLAND — A South Thomaston man was put back in jail, with bail set at $30,000 cash, after police say he sexually and physically assaulted a woman.

Rockland Police Detective Joel Neal arrested Anthony M. Kaler, 42, for a charge of gross sexual assault for an attack that allegedly occurred Jan. 7.

Earlier on Jan. 8, Kaler had been charged with aggravated criminal mischief, refusing to submit to arrest, criminal threatening and terrorizing for causing $2,000 in damages to a property, and assaulting Thomaston Police Officer Chris Hast. Kaler had been released on $250 bail for those charges, but later that day, the sexual assault was reported and Kaler was arrested again and charged with the new crime.

Kaler made his initial court appearance Jan. 11 in Knox County Unified Court, with Judge Susan Sparaco presiding.

According to the police report filed by Neal for the sexual assault, the victim was home because she was not feeling well when Kaler called her about coming over to see her. The victim said she told him not to come over, but he did and someone in the apartment building let him in. She said Kaler “did not seem like himself” and thought he was taking drugs again, according to court documents.

The victim told police Kaler ripped off her shirt and pants and then removed his clothing and was naked on top of her. He attacked her by slapping her face and also grabbing it extremely hard and holding her by the neck to force her to kiss him. The victim said she fought back and was eventually able to free herself from Kaler, according to the court documents.

The victim sustained multiple injuries, including those on her thigh, ear, forehead, lip and face when Kaler took her head at one point and smashed it into a window, an attack that the victim’s sister, who was also at the residence, was said to have witnessed. Kaler also punched a hole in the bedroom wall.

The morning after the attack, Kaler texted the victim and told her “he had blacked out and assumed her owed her an apology.” The victim told police that she is afraid of Kaler and doesn’t know what he is capable of doing.

Kaler told Neal that he met the victim a few years ago and was attracted to her, but a relationship did not develop and they were now basically just friends. When Neal asked Kaler about the details of the alleged assault, he said he did not know what happened and had no recollection of the details except that he remembered going to the victim’s apartment. Kaler said he had been drinking that night and took some klonopin and later passed out, said the police report.

Kaler’s next court appearance is scheduled for March 11 at a dispositional conference in Knox County Unified Court.

Sarah Shepherd can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com