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Lewiston Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charges
A Lewiston man has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography, a federal crime that carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life.
Rodney Crowley, 33, admitted to investigators that he was a member of chat groups where child pornography images were exchanged. A search of his cell phone revealed several images and videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The investigation began in August 2019, when Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed search warrants for Crowley’s residence and person. The HSI had obtained information from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) regarding child pornography activity involving users of an internet messaging application.
Crowley’s plea deal was reached as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The program marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
The case was investigated by HSI and the RCMP. Crowley will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Project Safe Childhood is a critical effort to protect children from exploitation and abuse. The program has been successful in bringing perpetrators to justice and providing support to victims. As this case demonstrates, the consequences of engaging in child pornography are severe and can have a lasting impact on victims and their families.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement agencies will continue to work together to combat child exploitation and abuse. Anyone with information about child exploitation should contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or www.cybertip.org.
Key Facts
- State: Maine
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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