Houlton Resident Larry O’Neal Sentenced for Child Pornography

United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank declared Larry O’Neal, a 45-year-old resident of Houlton, Maine, guilty of possessing child pornography after a four-day jury trial.

The evidence and court records revealed that in January 2018, O’Neal’s computer was discovered to contain images of child pornography during a search warrant execution at his home. This investigation began when law enforcement detected his computer on a peer-to-peer file sharing network with files linked to child pornography.

Consequences for O’Neal are severe. He faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and a supervised release period ranging from five years to a lifetime. His sentencing will follow the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.

The investigation was a collaborative effort involving various federal agencies including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General, and the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit. This case is a part of Project Safe Childhood, a justice department initiative established to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Project Safe Childhood, launched in May 2006, has been instrumental in locating, apprehending, and prosecuting individuals who exploit children. For further information on this initiative, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.