FARMINGTON — A judge entered a not guilty plea Wednesday for a University of Maine at Farmington student accused of possessing sexually explicit materials of a child under age 12.

Yue Li Liang, 27, of Orono appeared in 8th District Court in Lewiston via videoconference from Farmington District Court.

Although he could speak some English, Liang’s first language is Mandarin, so an interpreter translated statements by Judge Robert Clifford and defense lawyer Bradley Sica Jr. for him.

Bail was set at $1,000 cash with conditions that he not use or possess sexually explicit material,  be subject to random searches of electronic equipment, and stay in Maine.

Liang was indicted by a grand jury and arrested on a warrant Tuesday. The Oct. 17 indictment listed Liang’s residence as Scott Hall on the Farmington campus.

The indictment states that from about Jan. 19 to March 19 Liang possessed materials depicting a person under age 12 engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

There were over 100 images, according to a court document.

Detective Glenn Lang of the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit investigated the case.

If convicted, Liang could serve up to five years in prison and be fined up to $5,000.

Though Liang told Sica he would hire an attorney, Clifford said he should fill out a financial affidavit to determine if he is eligible for a court-appointed one. When he gets an attorney his bail could be reviewed, the judge said.

Liang is scheduled to appear Nov. 22 in Franklin County Superior Court.

“On Tuesday, the Maine State Police Computer Crime Unit conducted an arrest in the investigation of a very serious allegation of child exploitation. The University will be actively monitoring the legal proceedings and take appropriate steps to ensure the safety of the campus and broader community. The individual arrested has been issued a no trespass order, barring the individual from being present on campus during the prosecution of this case. As this is a criminal case now being prosecuted by law enforcement, information about the status of the legal proceedings will be provided by the Maine State Police,” according to a written statement from UMF President Edward Serna on Thursday.

 

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