A Maine man has been sentenced in U.S. District Court in Portland for possessing child sexual abuse materials. Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Steven W. Freeman, 47, to 20 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Freeman had pleaded guilty on June 12, 2025.
Court records show that in July 2024, federal and state law enforcement executed search warrants after receiving reports about Freeman’s possession of child sexual abuse material. Authorities seized his cellular phone, which was found to contain hundreds of images depicting child sexual abuse. Freeman previously was convicted in Sagadahoc County in 2003 for gross sexual assault.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office.
“Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as ‘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,” according to the press release.
In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) received approximately 36 million reports related to the possession, manufacture, or distribution of such materials. Reports can be filed with NCMEC at https://report.cybertip.org or by calling 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,” the statement added.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide by coordinating federal, state, and local resources to prosecute offenders and rescue victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood is available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.