Seal Cove man sentenced to 70 years for production of child pornography

BANGOR, Maine — In what a federal decide known as a case that “shock[s] the conscience,” a Seal Cove man was sentenced to 70 years in jail on Thursday for creating, possessing, and transporting little one pornography.

Keegan Richardson, 28, pleaded responsible on Oct. 4, 2021, and was sentenced in U.S. District Courtroom in Bangor. Along with the 70-year sentence, he was ordered to pay $29,000 in restitution, in response to a launch from U.S. Legal professional Darcie N. McElwee.

In July 2020, Richardson entered a non-public web chat group and chatted with an undercover FBI agent identified to be a spot the place individuals met, mentioned, and traded unique sexual abuse materials of underage youngsters and hyperlinks to little one pornography McElwee mentioned in a launch.

Richardson confirmed he had entry to a feminine little one and shared sexually express footage of the kid with the agent.

He was arrested after a search warrant was executed for his house and cellphone.

Investigators later discovered Richardson had entry to 2 different minors and located a number of sexually express photographs of three photographs that Richardson had taken together with his cellphone, in addition to little one sexual abuse materials involving completely different minors.

“These instances shock the conscience,” U.S. District Choose Lawrence E. Walker mentioned. “It’s unimaginable to overstate the hurt the defendant has inflicted on [these children] and, by extension, to an unknown diploma, on the group at massive. What’s simply punishment for terrorizing [these children] and advertising that terrorism to strangers over the web?”

“Keegan Richardson not solely preyed on youngsters, he callously violated three youngsters who trusted him, inflicting lasting and profound injury,” McElwee mentioned within the launch. “I can consider no higher violation, and I commend the FBI for his or her fast motion to guard these youngsters from additional hurt.”