Man from Strong, Maine Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Pornography

Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Paula D. Silsby announced that Brian P. Hinkley, 26, of Strong, Maine, pleaded guilty on March 25, 2008, in U.S. District Court in Bangor, Maine, to two counts of Possession of Child Pornography. Hinkley, who was ordered detained pending sentencing, faces a possible sentence of up to 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000, or both.

Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Paula D. Silsby announced that Brian P. Hinkley, 26, of Strong, Maine, pleaded guilty on March 25, 2008, in U.S. District Court in Bangor, Maine, to two counts of Possession of Child Pornography. Hinkley, who was ordered detained pending sentencing, faces a possible sentence of up to 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000, or both.

In a separate investigation in April of 2006, officers of the Maine State Police executed a search warrant on the home of a friend of Hinkley’s in Sabattus, Maine. Hinkley was present at the time. During an interview of Hinkley, officers learned that he visited his friend’s residence nightly and used his laptop to log onto their wireless connection. Hinkley turned over his own laptop computer after telling officers it likely contained child pornography. Examination revealed that it contained approximately 300 images of child pornography, more than 80 of which depicted identified minors.

United States Attorney Silsby praised the investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Maine State Police, with the assistance of the FBI in Charleston, South Carolina.