Date: 02-20-2024

Case Style:

United States of America v. Sebastian Demers

Case Number: 2:22-cr-133

Judge: Nancy Torresen

Court: The United States Court for the District of Maine (Penobscot County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: The United States Court in Bangor

Defendant's Attorney:

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Description:

Bangor, Maine Ark Criminal Defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with sexually exploiting a child and drug trafficking..

A Portland man was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Portland for sexually exploiting a child and drug trafficking.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Sebastian Demers, 32, to 15 years on the child exploitation count and one year on the drug count, to be served consecutively, followed by 10 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay the victim and the victim’s family $15,843.27 in restitution. Demers pleaded guilty on December 9, 2022.

In November 2020, Demers befriended a 14-year-old child online and soon thereafter began engaging in illegal sexual contact with the victim. Even after the victim’s parents obtained a protection order against Demers, Demers continued to pressure the victim to see him and threatened to harm the victim and the victim’s family if the victim did not comply. Demers took several sexually explicit photos and videos of the victim, which investigators later found on Demers’ cell phone. Demers also plied the victim with alcohol and drugs and told the victim that he sold drugs. In April 2022, federal agents executed a search warrant at Demers’ residence and found cocaine and other evidence of drug trafficking.

Homeland Security Investigations and the Portland Police Department investigated the case

Reports of child sexual exploitation are increasing: In 2022, The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline received approximately 32 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation. That included more than 80,500 reports of online enticement of children for sexual acts and more than 31 million reports of child sexual abuse materials. Victimization can take place across every platform, including social media, messaging apps, gaming platforms, etc. To make a CyberTipline Report, visit https://report.cybertip.org/. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.

Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Outcome:

Defendant was found guilty and sentenced to 15 years on the child exploitation count and one year on the drug count, to be served consecutively, followed by 10 years of supervised release

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

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