Portland Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child Pornography

PORTLAND, Maine: A Portland man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to one count of possessing child pornography.

According to court records, in December 2025, a social media application company reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that one of its users had saved, shared, or uploaded a file containing child sexual abuse materials. Investigators were able to identify a Google account associated with the user and obtained a search warrant for the account. Contained on the Google account were thousands of child sexual abuse files, as well as a selfie-style photo of Clyde Hall, 60. The Google account contained numerous e-mails to Hall, to include package delivery information to his residence, and Hall's banking information. Hall has a prior federal conviction for possession of child pornography.

Hall faces a minimum term of 10 years and maximum term of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to a lifetime of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case with the assistance of the Portland Police Department.

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child sexual abuse material: Child sexual abuse material - referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" - captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims' exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reportsLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.orgLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. or call 1-800-843-5678. 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 https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.

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