A Lewiston man has been sentenced in U.S. District Court in Portland for crimes related to child sexual abuse material. Harold Clayton III, 35, received a sentence of 20 years in prison and will serve 10 years of supervised release after his prison term. He pleaded guilty to the charges on March 26, 2025.
Court documents indicate that the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit (MSPCCU) received two tips in June 2022 from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Investigators traced these tips to Clayton using an identified phone number. In September 2022, officers from MSPCCU and the Lewiston Police Department executed a search warrant at Clayton’s home, where they seized a cell phone and laptop containing images and videos depicting child sexual abuse involving children as young as toddlers. The cell phone also had Telegram Messenger communications showing that Clayton distributed this material.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) along with MSPCCU and support from the Lewiston Police Department.
“HSI commends the reporting of this heinous abuse of children to the CyberTip line, enabling law enforcement to take action and make sure Harold Clayton faced the full weight of justice,” said HSI New England Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol. “It is critically important the public join us in this fight against online child sexual exploitation by reporting suspicious activity. Together, we can protect and safeguard our children.”
The NCMEC’s CyberTipline plays a significant role in combatting child exploitation crimes nationwide; according to NCMEC data, over 36 million reports related to possession, manufacture or distribution of child sexual abuse materials were received in 2023. Reports can be filed online at https://report.cybertip.org or by calling 1-800-843-5678.
Victims or those seeking assistance for sexual assault or abuse in Maine can call a free statewide helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at addressing child exploitation crimes through coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local agencies. More information about Project Safe Childhood is available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.
