PORTLAND — A Lewiston man faces up to 20 years in prison for possession of child pornography.
Rodney Crowley, 33, pleaded guilty to the felony Tuesday in U.S. District Court. He had not reached an agreement with prosecutors for a sentence, Judge Nancy Torresen confirmed during a videoconference hearing.
As part of his plea, Crowley admitted to the forfeiture of his mobile phone.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Wolff wrote in court papers that investigators, working on a tip from the Canadian Royal Mounted Police in 2019, learned a user of an internet messaging application who received child pornography videos lived in Maine.
The account was traced to Crowley. Investigators executed search warrants for Crowley and his home in August 2019, Wolff wrote.
Agents went to Crowley’s workplace in Augusta, where they seized a mobile phone and laptop computer he had with him.
After initially denying any involvement in child pornography, he admitted to having viewed it for several years, Wolff wrote.
He said he’d received and sent emails containing child pornography depicting children up to age 10, but denied ever having produced such images. He told investigators they would find child pornographic images on his phone due to his involvement in a chat group.
A Maine State Police Computer Crime technician found child pornography on a card in Crowley’s phone, including a video containing clips of men engaged in sexual activities with boys ranging in age from 3 months old to 4 years old.
Defense attorney Amy Fairfield told Judge Torresen on Tuesday that her client had been receiving counseling treatment for his compulsion from a therapist since August 2019.
Crowley, who completed high school and one semester of college, said he suffers from anxiety and depression.
Torresen allowed Crowley to remain free pending sentencing, but cautioned him to abide by the conditions of his release.
“It’s extremely important for you to be on your best behavior,” she said.
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