A Scarborough man pleaded guilty on March 31 in U.S. District Court in Portland to possessing child sexual abuse material.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies to address crimes involving the exploitation of children online. The investigation began after Robert E. Milholland, Jr., age 49, was linked to child sexual abuse material distributed through the BitTorrent peer-to-peer file-sharing network.
According to court records, Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant at Milholland’s residence in July 2025 and seized multiple digital media devices containing illicit content. The Lewiston Police Department also participated in the investigation.
Milholland faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years, a fine up to $250,000, and supervised release for life. Sentencing will occur after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine his sentence based on federal guidelines and statutory factors.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received over 36 million reports regarding possession or distribution of such materials in 2023. Reports can be filed with NCMEC at https://report.cybertip.org or by calling 1-800-843-5678.