PROVIDENCE – Normand Asselin, 41, of Westerly, was sentenced today to 87 months in federal prison for possessing and distributing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Colonel Ann C. Assumpico, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., also ordered Asselin to serve 10 years supervised release upon completion of his prison term. Asselin pleaded guilty on September 23, 2016, as charged in a federal indictment, to one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
According to information presented to the court, in May 2015, Google security personnel reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that on March 18, 2015, images of child pornography were uploaded via email from an Internet Protocol (IP address) belonging to Normand Asselin. The information was forwarded to Rhode Island State Police. On May 15, 2015, Rhode Island State Police executed a court authorized search of Asselin’s Google email account which revealed that Asselin was sending and receiving images and video of child pornography.
On June 3, 2015, members of the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force a executed court authorized arrest warrant for Asselin and a court authorized search of his residence. A forensic preview of a laptop belonging to Asselin revealed the existence of images and videos of child pornography. A further forensic examination of the laptop revealed approximately 1,250 images and approximately 70 videos of child pornography.
Asselin has been detained since his arrest.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee H. Vilker.
The Rhode Island ICAC task force is comprised of members of the Rhode Island State Police Computer Crimes Unit along with detectives from the Bristol, Coventry, Jamestown, Middletown, North Kingstown, Pawtucket, Portsmouth, Warwick, and Woonsocket Police Departments, and agents from Homeland Security Investigations, United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service and United States Postal Inspection Services.
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