Registered Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to 14 Charges for Producing, Transporting and Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material

BANGOR, Maine: A West Gardiner man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to 14 charges relating to the production, transportation and distribution of child sexual abuse material, as well as failing to register as a sex offender.

According to court records, on August 29, 2022, Maine State Police executed a search warrant in West Gardiner on the person of Jon A. Hall, 30. In the search, they seized an iPhone belonging to Hall, and child sexual abuse material was recovered from that phone. Some of the images and video files depicted Hall sexually abusing a young child while earlier living in another state. The phone also included messages with a person in Maine while Hall was out of state. In many of those messages, Hall sent child sexual abuse material to the user in Maine.

On September 11, 2022, Hall was arrested for a sex offender registry violation. At the time, he was in possession of another phone, which also contained images of victims under 12 that Hall had downloaded from online storage, and images Hall had solicited and received directly from a 12‑year-old child using the internet.

Hall was required to register as a sex offender following a conviction for possessing sexually explicit material depicting a child under 12. Although Hall was aware of his requirement to notify the registry of changes in residence, he failed to update his registry information after he moved back to Maine from out of state in August 20222.   

Hall faces:

• Transportation of child pornography charge (2 counts): Minimum of 15 and maximum of 40 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,00, followed by up to three years of supervised release.
• Receipt of child pornography (1 count): Minimum of 15 and maximum of 40 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, followed by five years to life of supervised release.
• Possession of child pornography (2 counts): Minimum of 10 and maximum of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, followed by up to three years of supervised release.
• Distribution of child pornography (8 counts): Minimum of 15 and maximum of 40 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, followed by five years to life of supervised release.
• Failure to register as a sex offender (1 count): Up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, followed by five years to life of supervised release.

A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Homeland Security Investigations and the Maine State Police investigated the case.

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at https://report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.

Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.

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