A 45-year-old Gorham man has admitted to possessing child pornography after federal investigators traced illicit material to his home computer through a peer-to-peer file-sharing network. Steven Tutt pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor, facing up to a decade behind bars for his crimes.
According to court records, law enforcement agents used investigative software to download a child pornography video directly from Tutt’s IP address. The digital trail led to a search warrant for his residence, where forensic experts seized his computer and uncovered multiple additional videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.
During a recorded interview with investigators, Tutt admitted he had deliberately searched for and downloaded child pornography using peer-to-peer software. He acknowledged accessing the material over an extended period, showing a pattern of predatory online behavior aimed at exploiting the most vulnerable victims.
The case was jointly investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit. Their collaboration highlights the growing reach of cybercrime task forces in intercepting and prosecuting offenders before they escalate to physical acts of abuse.
Tutt now awaits sentencing, which will be scheduled after the U.S. Probation Office completes a presentence investigation report. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine—a sentence meant to reflect the severity of his crimes and serve as a deterrent to others lurking in the digital shadows.
Assistant United States Attorney Andrew McCormack is prosecuting the case. U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II emphasized that federal and state agencies remain locked in a relentless effort to identify, arrest, and convict those who produce, distribute, or possess child sexual abuse material—no matter how deeply they try to hide online.
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Key Facts
- State: Maine
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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