A Sedgwick man has been sentenced to 60 years in prison for producing child sexual abuse material, as announced by the U.S. District Court in Bangor, Maine. Travis Bessey, aged 30, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker and will also face supervised release for life. In addition, Bessey is required to pay $20,000 in restitution to each of his two victims.
Court records indicate that Bessey participated in a Kik chat room dedicated to distributing child sexual abuse material in May 2021. A special agent from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) observed him sharing images depicting a man sexually abusing young children. The search warrant executed at Bessey's residence led to his admission of sending and receiving such materials within the group on Kik. Images found on his phone further confirmed his involvement.
Judge Walker remarked on the severity of the case during sentencing, stating it was "the most thoroughly disturbing case I have ever seen," despite handling many cases involving child sexual exploitation throughout his career.
The investigation was conducted by HSI with assistance from the Maine State Police and the Bangor Police Department.
For those who wish to report incidents related to child pornography, contact can be made through the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at https://report.cybertip.org or by calling 1-800-843-5678. Residents of Maine seeking support following sexual assault or abuse can reach out via a 24-hour helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
This case falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative started by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide.
