HSI Investigation Leads to 3 1/2-Year Sentence for Former Maine Educator Who Possessed CSAM

PORTLAND, Maine — A Portland man was sentenced Oct. 15 in U.S. District Court in Portland for possessing child sexual abuse material.

Travis McCutcheon, 54, was sentenced to 42 months in prison followed by eight years of supervised release. McCutcheon pleaded guilty on May 15 after an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Maine State Police.

According to court records, in December 2022, the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit (MSPCCU) received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that in November 2022, two video files containing child sexual abuse material had been detected in a cloud-based storage account serviced by Google Drive. HSI special agents traced the related subscriber information and IP addresses used to access the Google Drive account to McCutcheon. HSI special agents executed a search warrant on the account and found two additional video files containing child sexual abuse material and emails from McCutcheon in which he solicited child sexual abuse material.

“It is deeply disturbing to know an educator was engaging in this type of behavior. HSI will continue to work ceaselessly to detect predators seeking child exploitation material and bring them to justice,” said HSI New England Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol.

“Although the evidence discovered does not reflect that Mr. McCutcheon possessed materials involving any of his students, his conduct was egregious,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee. “Child sexual abuse material documents the exploitation and abuse of children who suffer revictimization every single time the images are shared or viewed. That an educator could be engaged in such child victimization is unconscionable.”

HSI New England’s Portland Resident Agent in Charge office and the MSPCCU investigated the case.