A Maine man has been sentenced to 35 years in federal prison for crimes involving the sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child pornography. Patrick Hamlin, 48, received his sentence from Chief U.S. District Court Judge Lance E. Walker in Portland and will be subject to lifetime supervised release following his incarceration. Hamlin pleaded guilty on May 29, 2025.
The investigation began in May 2024 after authorities received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children indicating that Hamlin had uploaded child sexual abuse material using a messaging application. Federal and state law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Hamlin’s residence, seizing digital devices that contained thousands of images of child sexual abuse. Among the materials found were sexually explicit photographs produced by Hamlin depicting a child under the age of 12. Investigators also found a device resembling a child that Hamlin admitted to acquiring. The U.S. Attorney’s Office withheld identifying details to protect the victims’ privacy.
The case was investigated by the Maine State Police and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). In addition to federal charges, Hamlin is being prosecuted by the Androscoggin County District Attorney’s Office for unlawful sexual contact and touching offenses against a minor.
Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol for HSI New England commented: “Hamlin has earned every single year of his 35-year federal prison sentence. He not only sexually abused a young child, he photographed the abuse and shared it with like-minded predators on the internet, immortalizing his victim’s trauma. This sentence keeps him out of our community and away from children for a very, very long time,” Krol said. “We are grateful for our law enforcement partners in Maine who share our dedication to bringing justice to victims of child sexual abuse.”
U.S. Attorney Benson stated: “This prison sentence sends a strong message that the kind of abhorrent conduct committed by Hamlin will be punished to the full extent of the law,” Benson said. “This office remains committed to relentlessly pursuing and prosecuting those who sexually exploit our most vulnerable, in coordination with our federal law enforcement partners and the Maine State Police.”
In 2023, reports related to possession, manufacture or distribution of child sexual abuse materials reached 36 million according to data from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (https://report.cybertip.org). Those seeking help or wishing to report such incidents can contact NCMEC online or call their hotline at 1-800-843-5678.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative started by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at fighting online child exploitation through coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local agencies (https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc).