NICHOLAS CHEESE EXETER AND OXFORD MAN JAILED FOR SEXUAL ABUSE OF 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN MAINE

In a disturbing case that has garnered significant attention, Nicholas Cheese, a British man with ties to Exeter and Oxford, has been convicted and sentenced for heinous acts of sexual abuse involving a young girl from Maine. The incident unfolded in Bangor, Maine, where Cheese traveled from the UK under the pretense of a business trip, only to meet a 13-year-old girl he had befriended online.

Cheese, aged 27 at the time of sentencing, was found guilty of abusing the minor over a span of three days in a motel room. The abuse included filming himself during the assault, which led to additional charges of producing child pornography. The court heard that Cheese had initially connected with the girl through an online chat room dedicated to fans of the Harry Potter series, a platform he used to establish a relationship with her when she was just 12 years old.

When Cheese traveled to the United States for his business trip, he arranged to meet the girl at his motel in Bangor. During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Cheese was fully aware of her age, admitting to police that he knew she was only 13. The girl’s father, speaking on her behalf during the trial, explained that his daughter had met Cheese while she was recovering from a severe, life-threatening illness, which added a layer of tragedy to the case.

The judge, Judge John Woodcock, condemned Cheese’s actions, emphasizing that although the sexual acts might have been considered consensual if between adults, the victim was a 13-year-old girl who did not possess the maturity or capacity to consent. The judge described Cheese’s conduct as “unusually aggressive,” highlighting the severity of the abuse.

In his sentencing, Cheese was sentenced to 17 years in prison, with an additional five years of supervised release. The judge remarked that Cheese had given the girl a “crash course in sex” during their brief encounter, exposing her to a range of sexual experiences that many adults would refuse to explore. Cheese was visibly emotional as his parents, who had traveled from Britain and Spain to attend the hearing, addressed the court and pleaded for leniency.

The case was initiated when the girl’s father contacted police on June 30 of the previous year, reporting that his daughter had been sexually assaulted by a man from the UK. Detectives Andrew Whitehouse and Brent Beaulieu interviewed Cheese at his Bangor motel, where they also confiscated his passport. During questioning, Cheese admitted to traveling to Bangor explicitly to have sex with the girl and acknowledged that she had sent him explicit pictures and videos prior to their meeting.

Authorities found these images and videos on Cheese’s cellphone, including a sexually explicit photo taken in the motel room. Additionally, police in the UK discovered child sexual abuse images on his home computer, raising concerns about potential further charges, though no such charges have been confirmed at this time. Cheese is expected to be deported back to the UK once he completes his prison sentence in the United States.

Earlier, in October 2013, Cheese had pleaded guilty to a related charge of photographing his sexual assault on the girl. He waived indictment and admitted to one count of production of pornography, facing a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years, along with a possible fine of up to $250,000. He was held without bail at the Penobscot County Jail pending sentencing.

Cheese’s case has drawn widespread condemnation, highlighting the dangers of online grooming and the importance of safeguarding minors from exploitation. The case underscores the tragic consequences of online interactions that escalate into real-world abuse, and the ongoing efforts by law enforcement to combat such crimes across borders.