BIDDEFORD, Maine — A Biddeford Middle School ed tech is set to make his first court appearance via videoconference Monday at 2 p.m. on federal child pornography charges.
Jesse Kiesel, 48, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint Friday with possession of child pornography and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
According to court documents, in April 2021, Kiesel engaged in an internet chat with an undercover member of law enforcement posing as a 13-year-old girl. During the chat, Kiesel steered the conversation towards the topics of sex and sexual contact, and ultimately transmitted images of his erect penis to the undercover officer, according to court documents.
Following the execution of a search warrant at Kiesel’s residence, multiple images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct were recovered from his computer, according to court documents.
If convicted, Kiesel faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each charge, Clark said.
Clark said Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case with assistance from the Biddeford Police Department, Newbury Police Department in Massachusetts, and the United States Marshals Service.
