A Gorham resident, Cody J. Merrill, has entered a guilty plea in U.S. District Court in Portland for charges related to distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material. This development follows Merrill’s previous conviction for unlawful sexual conduct involving a minor in York County Superior Court.
Court documents reveal that Merrill, aged 33, distributed a video file containing child sexual abuse material to an undercover Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent via a messaging app. In February 2025, HSI executed a search warrant at Merrill’s home, seizing multiple digital devices with files of child sexual abuse material. During a recorded interview, Merrill confessed to accessing, viewing, and distributing such material online.
Merrill faces significant legal consequences including a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years imprisonment and up to 40 years maximum. Additionally, he could be fined up to $250,000 and face life-long supervised release. Sentencing will occur post the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will finalize the sentence after reviewing the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines alongside other statutory factors.
The investigation was conducted by HSI.
To address incidents involving child sexual abuse material—legally termed as “child pornography”—the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports in 2023 alone regarding possession or distribution of such materials. Reports can be filed at https://report.cybertip.org or by calling 1-800-843-5678. For those affected by sexual assault or abuse in Maine, assistance is available through the free statewide helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood—a Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006 aimed at combating child exploitation and abuse nationwide by leveraging federal, state, and local resources for apprehending offenders and rescuing victims. More information on Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.
