HOULTON, Maine — The Houlton Police Department arrested an Aroostook County man for allegedly distributing sexually explicit materials of a child, according to police.

Brian F. Hayes, 36, of Houlton, was arrested on Nov. 25 following a several week investigation with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Health and Human Services, the police said in Wednesday release.

On Nov. 3, a witness contacted the HPD regarding seeing an adult male with child sexual abuse materials, police said.

As part of the investigation, officers seized a telephone and obtained a warrant for the phone’s content. During the investigation of the phone, there were several images of child sexual abuse material and other related information, police said.

After interviewing a second witness, police arrested Hayes on two felony counts and a misdemeanor.

He was charged with felony Class B dissemination of sexually explicit material, felony Class C possession of sexually explicit material and Class D misdemeanor, domestic violence criminal threatening.

If convicted, Hayes could serve 20 years behind bars.

He was jailed in the Aroostook County Jail and released on $3,000 bail.

The investigation is ongoing, police said.

Kathleen Phalen Tomaselli is a reporter covering the Houlton area. Over the years, she has covered crime, investigations, health, politics and local government, writing for the Washington Post, the LA...