RI State Police Charge 13 Men In Internet Child Sex Sting

CRANSTON, RI – State Police charged 13 men from Rhode Island and Massachusetts with indecent solicitation of a child and computer crimes as part their Operation Guardian into child exploitation. State Police said the arrests were the result of a two-day sting in which the suspects believed they were communicating with children ages 13 through 15 and arranged meetings for various sex acts.

RI State Police announced at a press conference Thursday morning that they had charged seven RI men and six MA men.

"These suspects come from all walks of life and there is no profile for a sexual predator," said Task Force Col. James Manni. "This type of operation demonstrates how dangerous social media to our youth is. Child predators are constantly looking for juveniles to exploit and prey upon. Parents must remain vigilant in communicating with children and in monitoring their social media platforms."

Police said that from Jan. 24 into the early morning hours of Jan. 26 Rhode Island Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force detectives used 16 social media applications and on-line classified advertisements to communicate with the suspects. The suspects all arranged to meet the people police said they believed to be juveniles at a pre-determined location for the sex acts. Several more arrests are possible.

"We would like to send a strong message to these predators," Col. Manni said. "We will use all available resources, and will go to any length, to find you, to arrest you, and to prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law."

The Rhode Island ICAC Task Force is comprised of members of the Rhode Island State Police Computer Crimes Unit along with detectives from the Warwick Police Department, Cranston Police Department, Newport Police Department, East Providence Police Department, Pawtucket Police Department, Bristol Police Department, North Kingstown Police Department, Woonsocket Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations.

State Police charged Jose Carrion, 41, of Attleboro, MA; Kevin Cooney, 27, of Bellingham, MA; Tomy Fitton, 39, of Pawtucket, RI; Anthony Gomes, 31, of Brockton, MA; Michael Johnson, 50, of Templeton, MA; James Jolly, 41, of Middleborough, MA; Paul Kimata, 27, of Brockton; David King, 37, of Westerly, RI; Yuhua Kong, 29, of Providence, RI; Stephen Lomastro, 57, of Warwick, RI; Muhammad Malik, 44, of East Greenwich, RI; Emmett Manna, 37, of Providence, RI and Manna Mahuri, 41, of North Kingstown with indecent solicitation of child.

Cooney, Fitton, Gomes, Johnson and King were also charged with electronically disseminating indecent material to a minor. Carrion was also charged with possession of cocaine.

Carrion, Cooney, Gomes, Johnson, Jolly, Kimata, King, Kong, Lomastro, Malik, Manna and Mahuri were all arraigned on Wednesday at Sixth Division District Court before Associate Judge Houlihan. All suspect received $5,000 personal recognizance bail with the condition of no unsupervised contact with minors. Carrion received $5,000 surety bail with the same conditions.

Fitton was arraigned on Monday at Sixth Division District Court before Associate Judge Houlihan and issued $50,000.00 surety bail with special bail conditions of limited internet use and no unsupervised contact with minors. Fitton was held as a Superior Court probation violator. He is also a sex offender in Massachusetts, but his registration requirement expired in July 2019.

Those found guilty of indecent solicitation of a child face a prison sentence of no less than five years. Those found guilty of electronically disseminating indecent material to a minor face a prison sentence of no more than five years and not more than a $5,000 fine.