Maine Resident Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child Pornography and Attempting to Entice a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jay Scott Cloutier, age 58, of Lyman, Maine, pled guilty yesterday to attempting to coerce and entice a minor to engage in sexual acts with him and to receiving child pornography. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

As part of his guilty plea, Cloutier admitted that, between April 2019 and September 2019, he exchanged sexually explicit text messages with an undercover officer posing as a 14-year-old child, in an attempt to entice the child into engaging in sexual acts with him.  On September 20, 2019, he traveled from Maine to a prearranged meeting location in Colonie, New York, with the intent to engage in sexual acts with the 14-year-old child.  Cloutier also admitted to having solicited and received a sexually explicit image of a 17-year-old child in November 2019 and a sexually explicit image of a 15-year-old child in February 2018.

Cloutier faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life.  Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy will sentence him on March 15, 2022. 

This case was investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dustin C. Segovia as part of Project Safe Childhood.

Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).  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, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.