Kevin Lee Ross, Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material, Maine 2024

Grimy Times Exclusive: Ellsworth Man Sentenced to 10+ Years for Child Pornography

Kevin Lee Ross, a 62-year-old Ellsworth man, was sentenced to 121 months in prison for possessing child sexual abuse material. The sentence, handed down by Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker, also includes five years of supervised release and a $90,000 restitution order.

Ross was found guilty by a federal jury on June 14, 2024, following a two-day trial. He was also sentenced to 24 months for violating his supervised release from an earlier conviction, which will be served consecutively.

The charges against Ross stem from a March 2023 investigation by probation officers, who conducted an unannounced home inspection at his residence as part of his federal supervised release. During the inspection, officers discovered a cell phone and a trash bag containing drug paraphernalia. When the phone was powered on, its screen displayed a sexually explicit image of a young child, leading to further investigation that revealed over 500 images and videos containing child sexual abuse material.

A search of a vehicle used by Ross since his 2021 release from prison revealed a laptop and external hard drive hidden in the spare tire wheel well. The laptop was found to have 187 images and videos of child sexual abuse material, while the external hard drive contained 761 images and videos.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. If you or someone you know has been affected by child sexual abuse, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.

Ross’s conviction serves as a reminder of the importance of vigilance and reporting suspected child exploitation. If you have information about child sexual abuse material, you can report it to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at https://report.cybertip.org or by calling 1-800-843-5678.

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