Victor Hanson - Guilty Child Porn

An Augusta man faces a minimum of five years in federal prison for having images of child pornography on his home computer.

Victor Hanson, 65, pleaded guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court in Portland to transportation of child pornography and possession of child pornography. The transportation charge carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

A sentencing hearing will be held this summer, according to Hanson's attorney, Walter McKee.

"Victor has accepted responsibility for possessing these illegal images," McKee said. "He knows that he committed the crime and is prepared to start doing his time."

Hanson was taken into custody by U.S. marshals after Thursday's hearing before U.S. District Judge D. Brock Hornby.

Hanson was charged as a result of an undercover Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation that began in 2003, which was described in a court document by Craig M. Wolff, assistant U.S. attorney.

A Wyoming agent "received a child pornography image depicting a known child victim" from the computer address of NetZero member "oldfart 59," Wolff said, an address traced to Hanson.

On April 22, 2004, Detective Scot Bradeen of the Maine Computer Crimes Task Force seized computers from Hanson's Gage Street home.

At the time, Hanson admitted he was the only one using them.

Wolff wrote that the images, which depicted children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, were part of the "Sabban" series, a widely traded series of images that originated in Brazil. He said the images were "transported ... via the Internet prior to April 22, 2004."

McKee said Hanson had no prior criminal record.

Betty Adams -- 621-5631