March 28, 2024
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Mainer makes bail in child porn case

ISLE AU HAUT – A local lobsterman facing child pornography charges after his arrest Oct. 23 has been released on bail from Knox County Jail, according to a Knox County Sheriff’s Department spokesman.

John Hughes, 46, appeared in Knox County District Court on Wednesday to answer charges of possessing sexually explicit material and violation of privacy, state police Computer Crime Task Force member Sgt. Glenn Lang said Friday.

Hughes has not been indicted, said a spokesman from the District Court.

A second charge stems from a camera Hughes installed in his bathroom to watch a teenage family member.

His computer was seized and more than 1,000 child pornography images were found.

The Coast Guard last week took task force members Lang and Detective Laurie Northrop to the island to conduct their investigation, according to the Maine Department of Public Safety.

“Hughes voluntarily submitted to a psychological evaluation at the Penobscot Bay Medical Center over the weekend, and when he was released from the hospital we arrested him on the charges,” Lang said. “He made a court appearance, and bail was set at $7,000 cash.”

The child pornography charge is a Class C crime since it involves a child under 12, Lang said. The invasion of privacy charge is a misdemeanor.

Jail time will depend on whether the case is prosecuted as a state or federal crime, Lang added.

“If the case falls under federal prosecution, he could be facing serious time,” Lang said of Hughes.

Gail Malone of the U.S. Attorney’s Office will review the case and make a determination, Lang said.

Correction: A story in the Oct. 27 issue of the Bangor Daily News reported that John Hughes, 46, who is facing charges of possessing sexually explicit material and violation of privacy, was released on bail from Knox County Jail. According to the jail administrator Monday, Hughes remains in custody. The error resulted from incorrect information from a Sheriff’s Department spokesman.

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