A former Brunswick town councilor accused of possession of child pornography is due back in court this week.

Christopher Watkinson. Courtesy photo

Christopher Watkinson is scheduled to appear in Lewiston District Court Friday for a misdemeanor plea hearing related to two charges of possession of sexually explicit material, according to a court clerk.

In 2022, Watkinson was charged with possession of sexually explicit material of a minor under 12, a Class C felony, and possession of sexually explicit material, a Class D misdemeanor. He pleaded not guilty to those charges. A judge recently agreed to transfer the case to Androscoggin County based on a request from Watkinson’s attorney, William Bly, who said media coverage made it impossible for him to get a fair trial in Cumberland County.

Bly and the Androscoggin District Attorney’s Office did not return messages seeking comment about Friday’s hearing.

Bly said in court earlier this year Watkinson clicked an internet link in June 2021 and was “shocked” when sexually explicit images of a young girl appeared. He downloaded and emailed three images to himself with the intention of turning them in to police, according to Bly. Yahoo reported the images to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, prompting Maine State Police to execute a search warrant at Watkinson’s home, where agents confiscated 21 electronic devices, including some belonging to Watkinson’s family members.

Bly said Watkinson did not turn over the images to police because he was supporting a relative who had a heart attack.

“We’re confident in Chris’ innocence,” Bly told The Times Record earlier this year.

Following his indictment, Watkinson resigned from the Town Council and was placed on leave from his job as a technical director and music lecturer at Bowdoin College. He is no longer employed at the school.

Watkinson has been free on personal recognizance bond, with the condition he have no unsupervised contact with children below the age of 10 aside from his own children.

Watkinson was elected District 5 councilor in 2017 and reelected in 2020. He had been active in local school issues, organizing a petition against a school board proposal to address overcrowding by moving fifth graders to the junior high school and campaigning for the replacement of the Coffin School.