A state prosecutor is disputing a former Maine State Trooper’s claims that some evidence should have been kept from the jury that convicted him of sex crimes involving a young girl.

The evidence about erotic images on Gregory Vrooman’s computers helped show his state of mind around the time the crimes were committed, Assistant Attorney General Deborah Cashman wrote January 28. She filed a 46-page response to Vrooman’s appeal of his convictions.

Vrooman, 47, of Nobleboro was sentenced in June 2012 to serve 21 months in prison for crimes dating back to 2009 and 2010, when the girl was 12 and 13 years old. Fired from his trooper's job shortly after his convictions, he remains free while his appeal is pending in the Maine Supreme Judicial Court in Portland.

Evidence about erotic images on Vrooman’s home and work computers was relevant because he denied intentionally touching the victim in a sexual way, Cashman wrote to the court. Vrooman maintained any such touching was accidental; however, witnesses said it was going on around the same time he was viewing the images, she wrote.

“The evidence was relevant to the issue of motive, lack of mistake or misunderstanding (and) the probative value outweighed any possible risk of unfair prejudice…,” Cashman wrote.

Vrooman’s lawyer, Steven Peterson, is trying to get the convictions reversed and get the ex-trooper a new trial. Peterson maintains there wasn’t enough evidence in a police affidavit used to obtain Vrooman’s home computer. The evidence shouldn’t have made it into the trial and, when it did, it was highly prejudicial, Peterson wrote to the court in December 2012.

Peterson is also claiming the affidavit didn’t have enough signatures to be valid. Cashman is countering that a district court judge properly granted the search warrant, and that the trial judge was right to deny to Peterson’s request to keep the evidence out.

Now that both attorneys have filed their briefs, the state’s highest court will decide if it wants to hear oral arguments before deciding on Vrooman’s appeal.

Susan Johns can be reached at 207-844-4633 or sjohns@wiscassetnewspaper.com.