David Oakes knew that U.S. marshals were closing in on him for violating his federal probation, so he tossed the incriminating evidence — computer components with images of child pornography — out his truck window on a rural road in Hollis.

That was in 2007.

The components lay there in the muck for two years until Warden Peter Herring spotted them in 2009 while trying to chase down someone suspected of stealing a car. He came back the next day and retrieved a hard drive that still functioned.

The computer equipment contained 202 videos and 15,290 images of child pornography. The hard drive was connected to Oakes by where it was found, the dates of the files on the hard drive and software that was registered to Oakes, the Attorney General’s Office said.

Working together, Lewiston police and the Attorney General’s Office built a new case against Oakes, who despite his efforts had been returned to federal prison for violating probation.

Oakes was released from federal prison in December but went straight to York County Jail to await trial on the new state charges.

On Friday, Superior Court Justice G. Arthur Brennan ordered Oakes to go to state prison for 2 1/2 years.

“Mr. Oakes used his computer to obtain child pornography over the Internet,” Attorney General William Schneider said. “The exploitation of young children in the production of pornography is a serious and disturbing offense.”

Oakes originally pleaded guilty in 2001 to receiving child pornography and was ordered to spend four and half years in prison and five years on probation.

Staff Writer David Hench can be contacted at 791-6327 or at:

dhench@pressherald.com