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Press Release

Windham Man Sentenced to 15 Years, Ordered to Pay $108,000 in Restitution for Possessing, Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Maine
Cote Noonan possessed nearly 50,000 known images/videos of sexual abuse of children

PORTLAND, Maine:  A Windham man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Cote Noonan, 33, to 180 months in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $108,000 in restitution to victims. Noonan pleaded guilty on June 5, 2024.

According to court records, in October 2023, Noonan, using the username “Femboy Cassidy,” sent an undercover FBI agent three child sexual abuse material videos using the instant messaging application TeleGuard. The videos showed the sexual abuse of young victims, including an infant. The agent also observed “Femboy Cassidy” share similar photos and videos on two other occasions in a trading room for child sexual abuse material. During the investigation, Noonan admitted to operating the “Femboy Cassidy” account and informed investigators that they would find child sexual abuse material on his electronic devices. He also admitted to sexually abusing a child on multiple occasions and recording that abuse. The FBI seized several devices from Noonan’s residence, four of which contained thousands of known child sexual abuse material images and videos. Many of these images and videos showed the sexual abuse of toddlers and infants. The FBI did not locate any photos or videos documenting the hands-on sexual abuse described by Noonan.

The FBI investigated the case.

“Mr. Noonan admitted to a long and disturbing history which includes viewing and downloading child sexual abuse materials for more than two decades, in addition to engaging in illicit sexual contact with children,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee. “This sentence will protect children from being victimized and hopefully offer some measure of justice to those he exploited.”

“Simply put, Cote Noonan is a predator,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “He amassed tens of thousands of images of young children being sexually abused and shared them online. During our investigation, he also admitted to sexually abusing a child. It’s vital that he’s locked away where he can’t hurt any more kids. The FBI and our partners won’t ever stop fighting to protect children from being so horrifically exploited.”

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 reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org 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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Contact

Shira Furman, Assistant United States Attorney (Tel: 207-780-3257)

Updated January 7, 2025

Topic
Project Safe Childhood