A former gubernatorial candidate in Maine remained held on $50,000 bail Saturday after his arrest on charges of possession of child pornography
PORTLAND, Maine — A former gubernatorial candidate in Maine remained held on $50,000 bail Saturday after his arrest on charges of possession of child pornography.
Officials with the Hancock County Jail said Eliot Cutler was still in custody. The Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit arrested Cutler without incident on Friday at a home he and his wife share in Brooklin, about 130 miles (210 kilometers) from Portland. The 75-year-old twice ran for governor as an independent, using his personal wealth to pay for the two unsuccessful campaigns.
Cutler’s attorney, Walt McKee, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday morning. Warrants were executed on two of Cutler’s homes earlier in the week.
Authorities said the investigation into Cutler began with a tip in December. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children informed Maine State Police that someone in Maine had either downloaded or uploaded a single illegal image.
Cutler now faces four counts of possession of sexually explicit material of a child under 12, prosecutors have said. Each count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.