ELLSWORTH, Maine — Hancock County Superior Court Justice Robert Murray agreed to a plea agreement put forward by Eliot Cutler's legal team that he serve nine months in jail on the condition he changes his plea to guilty. Cutler changed his plea to guilty Thursday afternoon to four counts of possession of sexually explicit material of a child under 12.
Each count carries a maximum penalty of five years in jail. However, a memorandum filed earlier this week by Cutler's attorney outlined a plea agreement that upon changing his plea to guilty would request a sentence of four years in jail with all but nine months suspended and six years of probation. He also is required to be registered as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.
The judge agreed to the terms in a court ruling Thursday, following Cutler's change of plea to guilty.
Per the plea agreement, Cutler is expected to report to Hancock County Jail on Thursday, June 1.
"To my friends and all the people throughout my life, especially to those in our Maine community who placed their faith and trust in me [and] who have been shocked, repelled, and disappointed by my behavior, I am profoundly sorry that I let you down," Cutler said in court Thursday.
Prosecuting attorney Robert Granger said he was in favor of the plea agreement considering Cutler's age and because it would have been at least three years before a trial would have began due to a backlog of cases.
"I'd rather get the convictions on the four counts that we got today and the sentence we got today rather than never reaching this case," Granger said.
Cutler was arrested at his home in Brooklin in March 2022 following an investigation that reportedly turned up thousands of videos of child sexual abuse on his computer.
Cutler was brought to Hancock County Jail at the time of his arrest but was released on $50,000 bail. Upon conditions of release, Cutler was not to be permitted access to computers or other devices that provided him access to the internet. A judge later granted his legal request for the use of one computer and one cellphone with monitoring software.
"My behavior helped to support an industry built upon their abuse, and I hope with all my heart that they can find healing and dignity," Cutler said.
Law enforcement officials were tipped off about the possible possession of sexually explicit material of children several months before his arrest. In December 2021, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children sent a tip to the Maine State Police alleging that someone in Maine had allegedly downloaded or uploaded an illegal image of a child under the age of 12.
"I had countless opportunities to admit that I had a serious problem and to reach out for help. I didn't. I didn't do that. I failed to meet my obligations to myself, to my family, to my friends, and to civilized society," Cutler said. "I am embarrassed and ashamed and deeply, deeply sorry."
The Maine Attorney General’s website reports that approximately one in five children is sexually solicited online, but fewer than 10 percent of sexual solicitations are reported to authorities.
That sparked a police investigation, execution of search warrants on his homes in Portland and Brooklin, discovery of materials, and his subsequent arrest.
Cutler, a prominent political figure and attorney, is perhaps best known for his two-time run for Maine governor as an independent, third-party candidate in 2010 and 2014.
Before running for governor, the Bangor native previously served as an aide to the late Democratic U.S. Sen. Edmund Muskie of Maine and later worked for former Democratic President Jimmy Carter as a top adviser for environmental and energy issues. He also helped found a law firm in Washington, D.C., and worked as an environmental attorney for many years.