News Release
U.S. Department of Justice
Peter F. Neronha
United States Attorney
District of Rhode Island
July 12, 2011
WARWICK MAN SENTENCED TO 9 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON
FOR RECEIVING AND DISTRIBUTING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Warwick, R.I., man was sentenced Tuesday in federal court in Providence to 108 months in federal prison followed by lifetime supervised release for receiving and distributing child pornography. United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha announced the sentencing of Stephen Corona, 47, which was imposed by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Mary M. Lisi.
According to court documents and information presented to the Court by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Rogers, Stephen Corona became a target of an investigation by the R.I. State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (RI ICAC) after an undercover detective in Florida downloaded more than 100 images from the defendant over the Internet using a peer-to-peer file sharing program. The defendant was actively trading child pornography and chatting online when law enforcement agents entered his Rhode Island residence in April 2010.
A search of Stephen Corona’s residence turned up computers and files containing thousands of image files and hundreds of video files depicting child pornography involving infants and prepubescent children. Forensic analysis showed the images were distributed to others, including to the Florida undercover detective. One computer alone was found to contain 684 videos and 48,591images of child pornography.
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; detectives from the Providence, West Warwick, and Coventry Police departments; and an agent from U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement/Homeland Security Investigations (ICE). The objective of the RI ICAC Task Force is to form strong working relationships between federal, state and local law enforcement to effectively and efficiently prevent, detect, investigate, and prosecute online child exploitation and child pornography crimes.
Contact: 401-709-5357
USARI.Media@usdoj.gov
