An Ohio man has been sentenced in U.S. District Court in Bangor for possessing child pornography. Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker handed down a sentence of 72 months in prison to Andrew Ladich-McGrew, 28, followed by six years of supervised release. Ladich-McGrew was also ordered to pay $28,000 in restitution.
Court records reveal that the investigation began in June 2020 when Maine State Police and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a search warrant at an apartment rented by Ladich-McGrew in Presque Isle. The warrant stemmed from a report by electronic service provider Discord, which indicated that Ladich-McGrew’s account was involved with sexually explicit images of children under 16. Discord is an online platform that allows users to communicate through text-based chats and share media files.
During the initial investigation, authorities discovered images and videos on an online storage drive linked to Ladich-McGrew’s computer. A subsequent investigation in November 2020 led to the discovery of a computer containing multiple files of child sexual abuse material, including images depicting children as young as three years old being abused. At the time of his arrest, Ladich-McGrew resided in Ohio.
The case was investigated by HSI and the Maine State Police.
Child sexual abuse material—legally referred to as "child pornography"—documents the exploitation and abuse of children. Victims are revictimized each time these images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports related to such materials' possession, manufacture, or distribution.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood or to report incidents involving child sexual abuse materials, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc or contact relevant helplines provided for assistance.