A Boothbay woman has pleaded guilty to six felony charges in connection with the dissemination and possession of child pornography.
Rachel E. Anderson, 35, pleaded guilty April 11 to a single count of class B dissemination of sexually explicit material and five counts of class C possession of sexually explicit materials.
The district attorney’s office dismissed a single count of class A sexual exploitation of a minor – the most serious charge – and two additional counts of class C possession of sexually explicit materials.
Anderson took photos of a girl under the age of 12 and sent them to a man in South Carolina, who sent Anderson photos of himself sexually abusing another girl under the age of 12, according to court documents. Anderson met the man on Craigslist and they discussed meeting in Maine, but Anderson’s therapist contacted authorities upon learning of the exchanges.
A review of Anderson’s cellphone and computers by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit found 19 photographs of the local girl, as well as 75 videos of sexual assaults on male and female children, according to court documents.
Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Detective Terry Michaud arrested Anderson on Oct. 15, 2015. Michaud also reported information from Anderson to the Fort Mill Police Department in Fort Mill, S.C.
Michael A. McKinney, 33, of Fort Mill, pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor Nov. 20, 2015, according to The Herald, a local newspaper. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
McKinney must register as a sex offender and will be subject to GPS monitoring for life, according to The Herald.
Anderson will return to the Lincoln County Courthouse for a sentence hearing at 1 p.m. July 11.
“There is no agreement at this point” regarding a sentence, said Bath attorney David Paris, who represents Anderson. “By entering a plea of guilty, she has accepted responsibility” for her actions, Paris said. She has no prior criminal history, he said.
A probation officer will conduct a presentence investigation and prepare a report examining Anderson’s background and evaluating the appropriateness of sentencing options.
The State Forensic Service will perform an “evaluation of the defendant’s mental condition … to determine likelihood of defendant re-offending in the future once released into the community and to determine appropriate conditions of probation.”
In the meantime, Anderson is free on $1,000 cash bail. Her bail conditions prohibit contact with children except incidental contact at work. She is “not to be near places where children gather,” according to court documents.
The conditions also prohibit internet access; prohibit the possession of alcohol, dangerous weapons, and illegal drugs; and subject Anderson to random searches and tests to ensure compliance.
She must also abide by the terms of a bail contract with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Diversion Program. The contract requires her to report to the program by phone and in person at regular intervals and to abide by a curfew of 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Assistant District Attorney Katie Hollstrom represented the state.
