According to Steve McCausland of the Department of Public Safety, a Newcastle man has been arrested and charged with possessing child pornography by the State Police Computer Crimes Unit.

Robert Ransley, 58, was arrested at his home at 324 Mill Road on Wednesday, July 16 by Special Agent Justin Kittredge. He was charged with possessing sexually explicit material of someone under the age of 12 and was taken to the Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset.

His computer was seized earlier this month and an analysis of it by computer technicians showed thousands of images of child porn, but none of the images are believed to be from Maine.

Ransley is an artist and his paintings are in galleries nationwide.