ELLSWORTH, Maine — Documents connected to the Eliot Cutler child pornography case were unsealed Tuesday during the initial hearing at Hancock County Superior Court in Ellsworth.
Cutler, 75, is best known for running as an independent candidate for governor in 2010 and 2014.
The documents revealed Maine State Police officers confiscated flash drives and other devices from Cutler's properties in Portland and Brooklin during a search warrant back in March. He was arrested a few days later at his home in Brooklin and taken to the Hancock County Jail. He was later released on $50,000 bail.
According to the affidavit, the flash drives contained "literally thousands of videos of very young children being sexually abused."
Tuesday's hearing was set to be Cutler's initial court appearance, but his lawyers filed a waiver so that he did not have to be present.
During the hearing, Walter McKee, Cutler's defense attorney, asked the judge to amend one of his bail conditions.
McKee requested Cutler be granted access to the internet on one laptop and one phone, each with monitoring software. He stated the software would monitor all internet use for words, pictures, and websites that may be sexually explicit and notify the state and defense attorneys immediately.
"We've set up a whole program, software that's downloaded directly to the computer, a program where there's actually third-party monitoring to make sure that everything that might be of concern is something people can see... the DA's office, myself. If there's an issue, it will be immediately reported. I'm confident of that. And if there isn't, which is what I expect is going to happen, this is going to go through and be super smooth," McKee said.
The prosecution did not object to the request but noted people with longstanding, untreated, and severe addiction to child pornography cannot control their impulses.
The judge, however, approved the amendment for monitored internet access.
Cutler faces four counts of possession of sexually explicit materials of a child under 12 years of age. Each charge has a maximum prison sentence of five years.
Next in this case, a disposition conference will be held at Hancock County Superior Court in Ellsworth at 1:30 p.m. July 21.