A Buxton man was arrested by federal authorities Friday on a warrant on two child pornography-related charges.

John Whittenburg, 61, pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court in Portland to charges of receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography.

A grand jury indicted Whittenburg on June 18 for allegedly using the Internet to receive at least one video depicting a child engaged in sexually explicit conduct in 2011 and then using his computer in 2012 on at least one date to store images and videos of child pornography.

The indictment had remained under seal by court order until Whittenburg’s arrest, and further details of the accusations against him were not available in public court records.

Magistrate Judge John Rich III allowed Whittenburg to go free on a $25,000 unsecured bond while the case against him is pending after hearing arguments by Whittenburg’s attorney, Thomas Greco, and the prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Wolff.

If convicted of receipt of child pornography, Whittenburg faces a minimum mandatory prison term between five and 20 years, and a maximum fine of $250,000. If convicted of possession of child pornography, he faces up to 10 years in prison and another maximum fine of $250,000.

Scott Dolan can be reached at 791-6304 or at:

sdolan@pressherald.com

Twitter: @scottddolan


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