Eliot Cutler heading back to jail for probation violations

Eliot Cutler to Serve Two‑Month Jail Term for Repeated Probation Violations

Hancock County, Maine – A former two‑time gubernatorial candidate will return to a state facility to serve an additional 73 days in jail after a judge ruled that he had repeatedly violated the terms of his probation following a 2023 conviction for possession of child pornography.

In a Friday morning appearance at the Ellsworth courthouse, 80‑year‑old Eliot Cut‑ler pleaded with Superior Court Justice Patrick Larson that he should be allowed to continue his probation unaltered. Cut‑ler, who has been on probation since being found guilty in May 2023 of holding thousands of sexually explicit images of children, was ordered to serve a new sentence of 107 days, of which 34 would be served in the coming months and the rest counted against the six‑month term already partially completed earlier this year.

“While it was disappointing that Eliot has to return to jail, it’s a relatively short period of time, and it closes out this chapter,” Cut‑ler’s attorney, Walt McKee, said after the proceedings. He added that the judge’s decision to let the previously served 107 days count toward the total should be seen as a leniency.

Cut‑ler had most recently been jailed in June after failing to sign a required probation treatment plan document—his sixth alleged violation. He was released a week later when Justice Larson agreed to suspend the treatment program until the court’s review was concluded. In May, during a probation revocation hearing, Cut‑ler admitted that he had an unmonitored phone, accessed a “striptease video,” and possessed pornography that had led to a February arrest in South Portland.

The judge’s decision was grounded in a pattern of relapse. “Mr. Cut‑ler had the tools and failed to use those tools,” Larson told the court. “That, combined with a lack of personal accountability, warrants more sanction than time served.” He further said the February relapse was particularly concerning given Cut‑ler’s long‑term counseling and his failure to use the coping mechanisms he’d learned.

Cut‑ler, in his 20‑minute presentation, acknowledged the relapses and expressed remorse. “I am ashamed and sorry to be here,” he told the judge. He explained that he had found court‑mandated therapy and the 12‑step Sex Addicts Anonymous program helpful in preventing relapse and apologized for being overconfident during his probation. He also argued that he had been unfairly labeled by the Hancock County District Attorney and the press as “someone that doesn’t look like me at all.”

Justice Larson was critical of the argument. “He’s, for lack of a better word, victim‑blaming,” he said. “He did not take sufficient responsibility for his role in the repeated violations of his probation.”

The court set the new sentence to begin on October 15. The 107 days Cut‑ler has already spent in jail this summer will be credited toward the full six‑month sentence, leaving 73 days left to serve. The judge’s ruling does not change the fact that Cut‑ler will have to return to a correctional facility to complete the remainder of his term.

District Attorney Robert Granger issued a statement after the hearing in which he said he respected the court’s decision not to fully revoke Cut‑ler’s probation but added that he wished the judge had required Cut‑ler to participate in the state‑run Problematic Sexual Behavior Treatment Program. “He was treating with a number of private providers at the time he committed his violations which suggests he was not equipped with the tools necessary to avoid situations where he might be prone to engage in activities which violate his probation,” Granger said. “The State‑sanctioned program is designed to provide the tools necessary to avoid those problems. I certainly hope Mr. Cut‑ler has learned from this experience and he doesn’t have further incidents during his remaining probationary term.”

Cut‑ler’s case has drawn public attention due to his previous high‑profile political career. After serving as Maine’s governor from 2013 to 2019, Cut‑ler ran for the office again in 2022, only to withdraw after his 2023 conviction came to light. His repeated violations and the subsequent court orders have further underscored the seriousness with which Maine’s judicial system treats breaches of probation, especially in cases involving child sexual exploitation offenses.