PORTLAND – A federal operation that shut down a major child porn operation in Texas has led to the arrest of a former guard at the Cumberland County Jail.

Harry Blake, 40, of Westbrook, pleaded innocent in U.S. District Court to a felony charge of possession of child pornography on Thursday. Blake was released on $2,500 bail.

Blake’s arrest was part of Operation Avalanche, a two-year investigation that targeted customers of Landslide Productions of Fort Worth, Texas. That company is accused of providing customers who paid monthly fees with links to child pornography Web sites with names like “Cyber Lolita” and “Child Rape.”

Officials seized computer equipment from Blake’s home and the Cumberland County Jail, where he worked from Oct. 1, 1999, until he resigned May 3. The federal indictment accuses Blake of being in possession of illegal images this March while still working at the jail.

Earlier this month, officials announced that more than a dozen Mainers were under investigation as part of Operation Avalanche. The couple who ran Landslide Productions have been sentenced to federal prison, and more than 100 customers nationwide have been arrested.

In Maine, 44 seized computers are being analyzed by the Maine Computer Crimes Task Force, which is part of the Northern New England Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Undercover agents from the U.S. Postal Inspectors Service took over Landslide Productions’ Web site two years ago. When subscribers ordered child pornography delivered to their homes, agents moved in with search warrants.

Investigators said they did not have the resources to go after all the customers, so they focused on only the most egregious offenders and those connected to law enforcement.

Blake, who declined to comment, faces up to five years in prison if convicted. His trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 1.