Scituate Man Previously Convicted and Incarcerated on Federal Child Pornography Charges Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child Pornography

PROVIDENCE – A North Scituate man currently serving a term of lifetime federal supervised release that followed his term of incarceration of 84 months, having been convicted in May 2009 on charges of possessing and distributing child pornography, today pleaded guilty to an unrelated charge of possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Brian Murphy, 53, admitted that he was in possession of images and videos of child erotica discovered by a Homeland Security Investigations agent and a Federal Probation officer during an unscheduled visit to his residence in August 2022 and examination of electronic devices belonging to him, as permitted by the terms of his supervised release.

According to charging documents, in April 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children notified the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force that a user of a social media messenger platform had uploaded images of child erotica. An investigation by the ICAC Task Force determined that the IP address used to access the child pornography was assigned to a North Scituate business located on the ground floor of a multi-residence building in which Murphy resided. Murphy admitted to the court today that he used the business’ Wi-Fi service to access and download the child erotica.

Murphy is scheduled to be sentenced on November 1, 2023. The defendant’s sentence will be determined by a federal judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Milind M. Shah.

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