Providence Resident Sentenced for Possessing and Viewing Child Pornography

PROVIDENCE – David A. Skally, 58, of Providence, was sentenced today to 30 months in federal prison for possessing and accessing child pornography with the intent to view, announced Acting United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch; Matthew J. Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for New England; and Colonel Ann C. Assumpico, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police.

At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith also ordered Skally to serve 5 years supervised release upon completion of his prison term and to pay a mandatory $5,000 special assessment pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015.

The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines in this matter provide for a sentence of 51-63 months of imprisonment. The government recommended the court impose a sentence of 46 months of incarceration.

The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 requires non-indigent defendants convicted of child exploitation, child pornography, human trafficking, and human smuggling offenses to pay a $5,000 fine in addition to any other penalties imposed. The money from these fines are deposited into a “Domestic Trafficking Victims’ Fund” to supplement programs that provide victims’ services to domestic human trafficking victims, and provide law enforcement with resources to investigate and combat modern-day slavery.

David Skally pleaded guilty on December 20, 2016, to possessing and accessing child pornography with the intent to view. He was arrested on July 11, 2016.

According to information presented to the court, in September 2015, the HSI Child Exploitation Unit became involved in a child pornography investigation into multiple individuals, believed to be residing across the United States as well as abroad, and who are members of an Internet-based bulletin board. Users of the bulletin board were provided a link to a file sharing site from which child pornography could be accessed, viewed and downloaded.   

A court authorized search of the defendant’s computers at his residence in June 2016 by members of HSI and the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force resulted in the discovery of child pornography. A further forensic examination of the computers resulted in the discovery of approximately 284 videos and 418 images of child pornography.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams.

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