An Ellsworth man on federal supervised release for a previous conviction for possessing child pornography this week was sentenced to just over 12 years in prison after being caught in possession of child sexual abuse material again last year.
U.S. District Judge Lance Walker sentenced 62-year-old Kevin Lee Ross of Ellsworth to 121 months in prison for the possession of child pornography, as well a 24-month sentence for violating the conditions of his supervised release.
The prison sentences will be served consecutively, after which Ross will be subject to an additional five years of supervised release.
Ross, who was found guilty by a federal jury on June 14, 2024, was also ordered to pay $90,000 in restitution.
Court records show that in March 2023, a relative of Ross tipped off the U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office in Bangor to express concerns that Ross was using his cell phone to view pornography.
At the time, Ross was on supervised release due to a 2014 federal conviction for the possession of child pornography. He was released from federal prison in 2021.
As part of his release conditions, Ross was prohibited from possessing any unapproved or unmonitored internet-capable devices.
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The tip from Ross’ family member led to a search of his Ellsworth residence by probation officers in April 2023.
During the search, officers found a cell phone as well as a trash bag containing drug paraphernalia
According to federal prosecutors, when the cell phone was powered on, its screen displayed a sexually explicit image of a young child, and a further search of the device revealed more than 500 images and videos containing child sexual abuse material.
A laptop and external hard drive, both containing hundreds of images and videos of child sexual abuse material, were also found hidden within a spare tire wheel well in Ross’ vehicle, prosecutors said.
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