BANGOR, Maine – Kevin Lee Ross, 62, of Penobscot, is facing a decade or more in federal prison after a jury found him guilty today of possessing horrific child sexual abuse material. The verdict, delivered after a grueling one-and-a-half-day trial in U.S. District Court, marks a repeat offense for Ross, who was already convicted of the same sickening crime in 2014.
Prosecutors laid out a damning case, detailing how Ross knowingly possessed this depraved content between May 2013 and April 2023. The evidence revealed that Ross hadn’t just stumbled upon this material – he actively retained it, even after serving time for his previous conviction. When probation officers from Bangor searched his home and vehicle, they unearthed a digital trove of abuse: a cell phone, a laptop computer, and an external hard drive all brimming with images and videos exploiting children.
The timing is particularly disturbing. Evidence showed Ross possessed the laptop and hard drive before his initial federal sentence, then resumed accessing the material upon his release from prison in 2021. This wasn’t a momentary lapse; it was a deliberate continuation of a pattern of predatory behavior. The man clearly learned no lesson the first time around.
Ross now faces a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 20 years behind bars, followed by a potential lifetime of supervised release – five years to life. A hefty fine of up to $250,000 also looms. However, the final sentence will be determined by a federal district judge after a thorough presentence investigation report is completed by the U.S. Probation Office, taking into account federal sentencing guidelines and other relevant factors.
Homeland Security Investigations spearheaded the investigation, highlighting the federal commitment to combating this vile crime. But the problem is massive. In 2023 alone, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a staggering 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. If you have information, report it to NCMEC at report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 to aggressively target and prosecute individuals who exploit children online. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the project brings together federal, state, and local resources to not only bring perpetrators to justice but also to rescue the victims of this horrific abuse. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused in Maine, help is available 24/7 at 1-800-871-7741. For more information on Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.
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Key Facts
- State: Maine
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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