A former Maine probation officer and China resident pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Portland on Friday to accessing child pornography with the intent to view.

Jeffery Furlong, 53, uploaded multiple videos of child sexual abuse material, according to an Aug. 25 court filing.

Furlong was a probation officer under Adult Community Corrections, according to a Maine Department of Corrections spokesperson, who said Furlong left the DOC on Dec. 1, 2024.

The Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit began investigating a tip in June 2024, the district attorney’s office said in a news release.

“Based on further investigation, a search warrant was executed at Furlong’s residence in October 2024,” the release states. “During the execution of the search warrant, Furlong admitted that he had obtained multiple images and videos of child sexual abuse material on his cellular telephone via Kik. A search warrant on Furlong’s Kik account revealed child sexual abuse material and the defendant’s expressed sexual interest in children 6-to-12 years old.”   

Furlong faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 and a lifetime of supervised release.

Furlong admitted to investigators that he had uploaded images of child pornography, the criminal complaint states, and that he had not obtained them accidentally.

It appears Furlong has been with Maine DOC for over 20 years. A 2003 Maine DOC newsletter states he and another staff member appeared on a radio talk show.

A 2011 Maine DOC newsletter recognized Furlong for receiving an award related to an investigation of a fugitive arrested in New Brunswick, Canada. He was credited with “providing timely intelligence that was directly related to the fugitive’s arrest,” according to the newsletter. The recognition includes a photo of him posing with the award.

The town of China’s 2019 annual report lists Furlong as a member of the town’s budget committee and includes a photo of him and other committee members.