News Release
U.S. Department of Justice
Peter F. Neronha
United States Attorney
District of Rhode Island
January 6, 2011
3rd DEFENDANT SENTENCED IN MAY 2009 SWEEP
FOR ONLINE TRADING OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
Defendants ordered to pay a total of $40,000 in restitution to victim of child pornography video
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Robert M. Lopes, 43, of Coventry, who pleaded guilty in June 2010 to receipt of child pornography, was sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Providence to 60 months in federal prison, lifetime supervised release with strict guidelines, and was ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution to a victim who appeared in the “Vicky” series of child pornography videos.
In November, Jon H. Roberts, 47, of Glocester, and John G. Hathaway, 34, of Warwick, were sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release with strict guidelines. In addition, Roberts was ordered to pay $15,000 in restitution to the victim in the “Vicky” child pornography series and a $5,000 fine. Hathaway was ordered to pay $4,000 in restitution to the victim who appeared in the child pornography series.
Lopes’ sentence, which was imposed by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Mary M. Lisi, was announced by U.S. Attorney Peter F. Neronha; Colonel Brendan P. Doherty, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police; and Bruce M. Foucart, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Lopes, Hathaway and Roberts were arrested in May 2009 for online trading of child pornography as the result of an undercover operation initiated by the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (RI ICAC) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Also participating in the investigation were the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), and the Rhode Island Department of the Attorney General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Rogers prosecuted the cases in U.S. District Court. Nine defendants arrested during the ICAC sweep are being prosecuted in the state courts by the Rhode Island Attorney General’s office.
The Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is a Department of Justice grant-funded program administered by the Rhode Island State Police Computer Crimes Unit, comprised of five State Police Detectives, a Detective from the Providence Police Department, West Warwick Police Department, Coventry Police Department and an agent from Immigration Customs Enforcement. The objective of the RI ICAC is to form strong working relationships between local, state and federal law enforcement in order to effectively and efficiently prevent, detect, investigate, and prosecute online child exploitation and child pornography crimes.
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Contact: 401-709-5357
USARI.Media@usdoj.gov
