Registered Sex Offender Again Charged With Child Porn Possession

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, RI — A registered sex offender was arrested Wednesday evening and charged with possession of child pornography, Rhode Island State Police said Thursday. Vincent "Jack" Siravo, 37, of Post Road in Westerly, was previously convicted of the same charge in 2014.

According to state police, detectives began an investigation after someone used an unsecured internet connection at a South Kingstown restaurant to access child pornography. The State Police Computer Crimes Unit and Internet Crimes Against Children task force identified Siravo as the suspect. He was arrested late Wednesday evening, was arraigned at Fourth Division District Court and was held on $10,000 bail with conditions that he have no contact with minors and that his internet used be restricted.

In March 2008, Siravo was arrested and charged with possession of child pornography. He pleaded no contest to the charges in April 2014, when he was given a five-year suspended sentence and five years of probation. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender until October 2026.

If once again found guilty, Siravo faces up to five years in prison, a fine of $5,000 or both.

In the wake of the arrest, state police reminded the public that unsecured wireless networks can be accessed by anyone up to 300 feet away. To prevent unauthorized users, network owners are encouraged to set strong passwords with at least 12 characters that include upper- and lower-case letters, symbols and numbers.