Cody J. Merrill, a resident of Gorham, was sentenced on March 12 in U.S. District Court in Portland to 25 years in prison for distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement to address crimes involving the exploitation of children online. Merrill will also serve 15 years of supervised release following his prison term and has been ordered by Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker to pay $105,000 in restitution to victims whose images were found in his possession.
Court records show that Merrill, who had previously been convicted of unlawful sexual conduct involving a minor in York County Superior Court, sent video files depicting child sexual abuse material to undercover agents from Homeland Security Investigations using a messaging application. In February 2025, agents executed a search warrant at his home and seized multiple digital devices. During an interview with investigators, Merrill admitted to accessing, viewing, and distributing such materials through various internet-based applications. A forensic review uncovered over 5,000 images of child sexual abuse on his devices.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office stated that identifying information is being withheld to protect the privacy of the minor victims depicted in these materials. The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse through coordinated federal, state, and local resources.