An Augusta man has admitted guilt in a U.S. District Court to charges of distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material. The individual, Nathaniel Gagne, aged 35, was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Augusta Police Department following a tip-off from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
In April 2023, NCMEC informed the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit about a report it received through its CyberTipline. The report indicated that an Omegle user, later identified as Gagne, had uploaded a video file with suspected child sexual abuse content. This file contained four images depicting the sexual abuse of a young child.
During a search at Gagne's residence in Augusta, he confessed to viewing and sharing such material on Omegle. Authorities confiscated two cell phones and an SD card from his home, uncovering hundreds of images and videos.
Gagne is facing potential imprisonment ranging from five to twenty years per count and could be fined up to $250,000. Additionally, he may face supervised release for five years to life after serving his sentence. A federal judge will decide on the final sentence considering U.S. Sentencing Guidelines among other factors.
The investigation was conducted by HSI with support from MSP CCU and the Augusta Police Department.
In 2023 alone, NCMEC received 36 million reports concerning possession or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. Those wishing to report incidents can contact NCMEC via their website or hotline.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice aimed at combating child exploitation online. More information about this project can be found on their official website.