Former Naval War College Officer Indicted On Child Porn Charges

NEWPORT, RI — A retired U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander was indicted on child pornography and child solicitation charges on Tuesday. Ronald W. Zenga, 49, of Middletown was most recently stationed at the Naval War College in Newport.

Zenga is accused of trying to have sex with a minor and both possessing and distributing child pornography all while actively serving in the Navy and following his retirement, Rhode Island U.S. Attorney Aaron L. Weisman's office said. A federal grand jury indicted him Tuesday for two counts of enticement or coercion of a minor to engage in illicit sexual activity and one count each of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in illicit sexual activity, interstate travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, distribution of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.

Zenga is accused of bringing the minor from Rhode Island to Texas and Cuba to coerce them into performing sexual acts. According to court documents, Homeland Security agents in Providence received information in September 2018 that Zenga was believed to be communicating with an undercover officer through a Russian file sharing website, describing graphic sexual encounters with a young child, going on over the course of several years. The undercover officer was part of the Bedfordshire Police Department in the United Kingdom.

The Rhode Island State Police and Homeland Security Investigations agents raided Zenga's Middletown home, finding emails and files containing child porn. Zenga was then arrested and held in federal custody on a criminal complaint of access with intent to view child pornography and receipt and possession of child pornography.

An arraignment date has not yet been set.