A Lisbon Falls man, Joseph Gibson, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen for possessing child sexual abuse material. The sentence includes eight years of supervised release and an order to pay $9,000 in restitution.
Court records reveal that an IP address linked to Gibson's residence was identified as downloading such material in September and October of 2023 through BitTorrent. A search warrant executed by the Maine State Police in December 2023 led to Gibson admitting he viewed child sexual abuse content online. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) analyzed devices seized from his home, uncovering five video files depicting children under 12 being abused. This is not Gibson's first offense; he has two prior state convictions from January 2010 and December 2011 related to similar charges.
The case was investigated by the Maine State Police and HSI.
Child sexual abuse material, legally termed "child pornography," involves the exploitation of children and causes ongoing harm as victims are revictimized with each viewing of these images. In 2023 alone, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports regarding such materials. Reports can be filed at https://report.cybertip.org or by calling 1-800-843-5678. In Maine, those affected by sexual assault or abuse can seek assistance via a free, confidential helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
This case falls under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative started in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse online. It aims to locate and prosecute offenders while rescuing victims through federal, state, and local collaboration. More information about this initiative is available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.