A 40-year-old man from Old Town, Maine, has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography involving a child under 12, federal authorities announced.
Matthew Podlaski, 40, of Old Town, faced a federal judge in U.S. District Court in Bangor, Maine, where he entered a guilty plea to one count of possession of child pornography.
According to court records, between October and December 2022, Podlaski searched the internet for and downloaded images of the sexual abuse of young children, storing the images on multiple devices. Investigators seized 14 devices belonging to Podlaski, including laptop computers, flash drives and external storage devices.
Podlaski faces up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, followed by five years to life of supervised release. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. Podlaski’s guilty plea is the result of a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, known as Project Safe Childhood.
If you suspect someone is producing, distributing, or possessing child pornography, report it to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. In Maine, you can also call the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741 for help.
Project Safe Childhood was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
Related Federal Cases
- Old Town Man Faces Up to 20 Years for Child Pornography · Maine
- Portland Man Glenn Strout, 53, Pleads Guilty to Child Porn Charges · Maine
- Lewiston Man Douglas Blodgett Gets 10 Years for Child Porn Access · Maine
- Scot Letourneau Gets 16 Years for Child Porn, Fleeing Justice · New Mexico
- Anthonio Dicentes Gets 40 Months for Child Porn Possession · Maine
Key Facts
- State: Maine
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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