A Pittsfield man already accused of sexually assaulting a dog – an attack that left the animal paralyzed and ultimately euthanized – is now facing federal child exploitation charges, according to court records.
Christopher Colson, 24, was charged last week in federal court in Bangor with possession of child pornography and sexual exploitation of a child. Records show Colson was arrested Thursday and later released.
Court documents describe a troubling timeline.
In April 2024, a then 6-year-old girl reported at school that Colson had touched her inappropriately. Police interviewed Colson, who denied the allegations, and the case was closed.
Months later, in October 2024, Colson allegedly showed explicit photographs of a woman and an infant to his employer, prompting a report to law enforcement. According to federal filings, investigators later determined that Colson possessed images of the same child, taken when she was a toddler, stored across three Google accounts.
The investigation was handled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Court records state Colson lived with the child and her mother for several years. The mother confirmed to authorities that the images recovered belonged to her daughter.
Despite the allegations, Colson was released on $5,000 bail. As conditions of his release, he is barred from contacting the victim or any minors and has been ordered to reside in a supervised group home in Lewiston. Any interaction with residents must be monitored.
The federal charges follow earlier accusations involving the sexual abuse of a dog, a case that shocked central Maine and raised serious concerns about how authorities handled Colson prior to the federal investigation
