Man faces indictment in Milton lakehouse rape case

Travis Keefer (Milton Police photo)

ROCHESTER - An Eliot, Maine, teenager charged in the forcible rape of a female acquaintance at a Milton lakehouse after a night of drinking in March saw his case bound over for possible indictment in Strafford County Superior Court on Tuesday.

Travis D. Keefer, 19, of Pleasant Street, was charged last month with felonious sexual assault and is currently out on $5,000 cash bail.

Milton Police allege that sometime during the night of Saturday, March 29, that Keefer gave the female victim her first taste of alcohol and forcibly raped her after she passed out.

Farmington Police began the investigation after learning of the incident, but later turned the case over to Milton Police when it was learned the crime occurred in a lakefront cottage on Northeast Pond Road.

Farmington Police were unavailable on Thursday to comment on how they had first learned of the alleged rape.

The victim told Milton police that she had passed out on a couch and woke up naked in bed with Keefer.

In an affidavit filed by Milton Police, it is alleged that later that Sunday Keefer sent the victim a text message stating, “Just wanted to apologize for last night, not sure what you remember, but I feel horrible. Hope there’s no hard feeling.”

Police also allege that during a phone call Travis told the victim that “they had attempted to engage in sexual intercourse” and when asked what he meant, he acknowledged the victim had “blacked out,” but said she was still conscious.

“(Keefer) advised that he had used a condom when they attempted to engage in sexual intercourse … Travis had stated “we were trying to, but it didn’t work,” the affidavit states.

It also indicates a photo allegedly of Keefer and the victim, with her passed out on his lap and the caption “she’s gone” was posted on his “Snapchat” account and later screen-captured by a third party.

In conjunction with Farmington Police and through photos posted on Facebook, police were able to identify the house located on a dirt road on Northeast Pond Road in Milton.

Milton Police state in the affidavit that the location of the alleged rape was 230 Northeast Pond Road.

A search warrant for the house and a trash bin across the street was executed. Police later found a partial purple remnant of a condom wrapper, the affidavit states.

After a warrant for Keefer’s arrest was prepared, he turned himself in to Milton Police on April 10. If convicted, he faces 3 ½ to 7 years in state prison.