Cranston Man Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison For Child Porn

CRANSTON, RI — A Cranston man will serve a decade in federal prison, Rhode Island's U.S. Attorney announced Thursday. Robert Soares pleaded guilty to charges of possessing and distributing child pornography.

Soares was first arrested in May 2018 on charges of kidnapping, indecent exposure and domestic violence. Later, police found him to be in possession of child pornography, which he regularly sent to another person, Acting Rhode Island U.S. Attorney Richard Myrus's office said. At the time of his arrest, he had held a woman in a bedroom, exposed himself and was phyisically violent, the statement said.

During the investigation, police found that Soares had convinced a 14-year-old girl to let him take photos and video of her in her underwear in a makeshift set in Soare's basement. According to Myrus' office, Soares then distributed child pornography and erotica to a friend from August to September 2017, and from February to May 2018. The photos were frequently referred to as the "pervy pic of the day."

In September 2018, Soares pleaded no contest to the child snatching and indecent exposure charges and was sentenced to 15 years in prison, with three to serve.

In November 2019, Soares pleaded guilty to federal charges of distribution and possession of child pornography. On Thursday, he was sentenced to ten years in prison, with lifetime supervised release.