BANGOR, Maine — Nearly two years after he was indicted on a charge of child pornography possession, DJ Dana Wilson will go on trial.
The jury-waived trial of Wilson, 63, of Brewer will begin Monday before Superior Court Justice William Anderson at the Penobscot Judicial Center.
In March, the trial was rescheduled for June to allow a computer expert hired by the defense to examine Wilson’s computer, according to a previously published report.
Anderson in January allowed Wilson to withdraw his no contest plea and go to trial.
Wilson’s Bangor attorney, Hunter Tzovarras, told the judge Jan. 3, when a hearing to withdraw the plea was held, that Wilson wanted to take the action “because he is innocent of the offense and believes he did not fully understand the state’s burden [of proof], potential issues for defense and consequences of a no-contest plea.”
The defense attorney said at the hearing that there was nothing in the police report to indicate that Wilson sought out the material, and he never confessed to the police.
Wilson pleaded no contest on May 23, 2013, before District Court Judge Greg Campbell to one count of possession of sexually explicit material, a Class C crime, as his jury-waived trial was about to begin.
On Aug. 19, the day before he was to be sentenced, Wilson fired his previous attorney, Jeffrey Silverstein of Bangor. Silverstein said Wilson sent him an email dismissing him without mentioning a reason.
Monitoring of child pornography sites by law enforcement officials outside Maine led to an Internet address belonging to Wilson in February 2011, according to a previously published report. He was indicted by the Penobscot County grand jury in June 2012.
Wilson was inducted into the Maine Sports Hall of Fame in May 2012 for his basketball feats at Bangor’s Husson College, now Husson University, where he graduated in 1974. That honor was revoked May 29, 2013, by the hall’s board of directors, according to a previously published report.
The DJ remains free on $1,000 unsecured bail with conditions that include having no contact with children under the age of 16.
Wilson, who has no prior criminal record, faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 on the charge if convicted.
To reach a sexual assault advocate, call the Statewide Sexual Assault Crisis and Support Line at 800-871-7741, TTY 888-458-5599. This free and confidential 24-hour service is accessible from anywhere in Maine. Calls are automatically routed to the closest sexual violence service provider.