A Topsham man, Henry Eichman, has pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Portland to four counts of sexually exploiting a child. The case emerged after a worker from a Brunswick landscaping company discovered two laptops and several hard drives hidden under a kayak on the company's property in August 2022. Upon inspection, the devices were found to contain child sexual abuse material.
The employee recognized Eichman, 64, as a former colleague depicted in some of the files. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted a forensic examination of the devices and recovered over 500 images and videos showing child sexual abuse material. Some videos revealed Eichman setting up recording equipment or participating in the sexual abuse of four minors between 2014 and 2016.
Eichman had previously entered an Alford plea in state court for similar offenses in 2018 and is currently serving a ten-year sentence for those crimes. With this federal guilty plea, he faces an additional prison term ranging from 15 to 30 years, along with a potential fine of up to $250,000 per count. He may also be subject to five years to life of supervised release following his imprisonment.
The investigation was led by HSI with support from the Topsham Police Department.
To report incidents involving child pornography—legally termed as "child sexual abuse material"—individuals can contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). In 2023 alone, NCMEC received approximately 36 million reports related to these materials. Reports can be filed at https://report.cybertip.org or by calling 1-800-843-5678. Additionally, Maine residents affected by sexual assault or abuse can reach out for help via the statewide helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The project coordinates resources across federal, state, and local levels to prosecute offenders and rescue victims effectively.