North Kingstown Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Possessing Child Pornography

PROVIDENCE - A North Kingstown, R.I., man whose social media user name was identified by Canadian authorities and provided to Homeland Security Investigations during an investigation into online sharing of child pornography in Saskatchewan, Canada, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Providence to 30 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography.

Shaun M. Swant, 28, was arrested by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents and members of the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force on September 19, 2017, after their investigation identified his social media user name and IP address as a person using online programs to discuss and share child pornography online.

On the date of Swant’s arrest, HSI agents and members of the ICAC Task Force executed a court-authorized search of Swant’s resident and seized several computers and electronic devices. A forensic audit of the equipment determined that Swant possessed numerous images and videos of child pornography.

Swant pleaded guilty on February 27, 2018 to possession of child pornography.

At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., also ordered Swant to serve 5 years supervised release upon completion of his term of incarceration, and to pay a mandatory assessment of $5,000 as provided for in the Justice for Victims Trafficking Act.

The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines range of imprisonment in this matter is 97-121 months. The government and the defendant recommended the court impose a sentence of 30 months in prison.

Swant’s sentence is announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh, and Colonel Ann C. Assumpico, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra R. Hebert.

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