The adult son of a daycare center director in Buxton, Maine, has been charged with possessing child pornography. Police say 27-year-old Peter Blanchette lives in the home with his mother, where she runs the Country Corner Kidz Daycare.
Blanchette was released on unsecure bail Monday afternoon and is due to appear in York County Superior Court on August 7.
Police say there is no evidence at this time that his mother, Alma York, knew about Blanchette's activities or had any involvement. Blanchette's computer is being analyzed to determine if any Maine children are involved.
If Blanchette is convicted and registers as a sex offender, he may still be able to live near a daycare center again, explained Buxton Police Officer Scott Camire.
Camire said there is no state law that restricts where sex offenders can live. Instead, the state lets municipalities create their own ordinances. There is a state law that limits how far those local ordinances can go. It limits residency restrictions to schools, parks, and playgrounds, and does not allow municipalities to add daycares to that list.
"Our hands are tied," said Camire. "I don't know why the state essentially took the reigns on that and they limited what we can enforce."
According to Maine Department of Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland, Blanchette's bail conditions state that he cannot live in the home where the daycare is located.
