If you or someone you know needs resources or support related to sexual violence, contact the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault’s 24/7 hotline at 800-871-7741.
If you are concerned about a child being neglected or abused, call Maine’s 24-hour hotline at 800-452-1999 or 711 to speak with a child protective specialist. Calls may be made anonymously. For more information, visit https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/ocfs/cw/reporting_abuse.shtml.
A former chaplain at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography.
Douglas Cotta, 37, of Hermon entered his guilty plea to a charge of possessing sexually explicit material on March 17, according to ABC affiliate WVII.
Cotta was sentenced to four years in prison with all but six months suspended.
The investigation into Cotta began in April 2024 when the social media platform Discord reported that the user “Dchaplain8787” had shared a video of a man and woman sexually abusing a girl between age 3 and 4, WVII reported.
On Sept. 4, 2024, the Maine State Police searched Cotta’s home, seizing a cellphone and laptop. Officers found images of child sexual abuse on those devices.
Cotta served as a chaplain at EMMC. The Bangor hospital told the TV station that he’s no longer employed there.
