Democrat Mega Donor Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charges, Will Spend Less than a Year in Prison

Former Maine gubernatorial candidate and Democrat megadonor Eliot Cutler, 76, has pleaded guilty to child pornography charges and is now in jail for that horrific crime.

Mr. Cutler was arrested in 2022 when Maine State Police raided two of his residences and discovered tens of thousands of images and videos of children, some as young as four years old, being sexually abused. His arrest warrant stated that there were “literally thousands of videos of very young children being sexually abused.”

Despite the massive scope of his child pornography possession, however, Mr. Cutler will spend only nine months in prison, as WMTW reported, saying:

Cutler will plead guilty to four counts of possession of sexually explicit materials.

His sentence will be four years with all but 9 months suspended, so he will serve up to 9 months in jail, not including any time subtracted for good behavior.

He has agreed to report to the Hancock County Jail on June 1.

After his release, Cutler will be required to register as a sex offender for 10 years.

He will also be on probation for six years, with all internet activity subject to monitoring and all of his electronic devices, email, homes, offices, and vehicles subject to random searches.

Hancock County District Attorney Robert Granger and Mr. Cutler’s defense attorney Walt McKee both confirmed the plea details, with McKee writing in a pre-sentencing memo that Mr. Cutler “has and will accept total and full responsibility for his crimes for which he feels deeply ashamed.” Continuing, Mr. McKee added, “Eliot has gone from being a highly successful attorney and respected public leader to a person viewed by many as a pariah. His fall has been catastrophic, his reputation is in tatters, and he will live out the final years of his life in a way he never imagined.”

Cutler had given the incumbent Democratic Maine Governor Janet Mills $3,450 last August, the maximum allowed under Maine law. She donated that money to the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault after his arrest. A campaign spokesperson for her said, “Like people across Maine, the governor was stunned and appalled by the news. Exploitation of children — the most innocent and vulnerable among us — is despicable and a fundamental violation of humanity. She hopes that the judicial system will deliver justice and accountability.”