Veazie Man Sentenced for Enticing Minors and Possessing Child Pornography

BANGOR, Maine: A Veazie man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for two counts of enticing a minor and one count of possessing child pornography.

U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Austin Cocchiaro, 24, to 10 years in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. Cocchiaro pleaded guilty on September 30, 2025.

According to court records, in 2022 and again in 2024, Cocchiaro used his cell phone to induce a minor to participate in the production of child pornography. He also offered to pay for images using an online payment application. On November 14, 2024, the FBI executed a search warrant at Cocchiaro's home in Veazie resulting in the discovery of additional child pornography on two cell phones he owned.

The FBI investigated the case.

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: 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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