Woonsocket Father & Eagle Scout Son Charged with Child Porn

WOONSOCKET, RI — State police raided a home on Laurier Street on Friday. They arrested a father and son. Both are charged with possessing child pornography. Arthur O. Pare, 52, is also charged with transfer of child pornography. Pare and his son, Nicholas M. Pare, 23, also of Woonsocket, had past connections to the Boy Scouts of America, state police said.

"At this time, there is no evidence of any inappropriate contact between the Pares and any of their former Cub Scouts," police said.

Both men were arraigned in Sixth District Court and released on personal recognizance, with special bail conditions of no internet use and no contact with minors.

According to the Rhode Island State Police Computer Crimes Unit/Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the father was active with the Boy Scouts in Woonsocket from 2000 to 2014, holding various positions as a volunteer. He was Cub Master of Pack 6 from 2002 to 2004 and an Assistant Scout Master for Troop 6 from 2006 to 2014.

Arthur O. Pare

Nicholas M. Pare, an Eagle Scout, was a youth member from 2000 to 2012. He was the Assistant Scout Master of Troop 6 in 2012. in

The situation came to light recently when the task force started to investigate a person "sharing child pornography over the internet," police said. The inquiry led them to the internet connection at the Laurier Street house. Police allege Arthur O. Pare owns "digital media used to possess and transfer child pornography. Members also identified digital media owned by Nicholas M. Pare, which contained child pornography."

Police seized forty (40) items of digital media for further forensic analysis and additional charges may be pending.