Ryan J. Lebrun Pleads Guilty to Child Porn Charges

PAWTUCKET, R.I. — Ryan J. Lebrun, 23, a registered sex offender with two prior state convictions for child pornography, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to federal charges of distributing and possessing child pornography. The grim revelation caps a years-long pattern of predatory behavior that law enforcement says exploited the darkest corners of the internet.

Lebrun admitted before U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to two counts of distribution and one count of possession of child pornography. The charges stem from a multinational investigation triggered in June 2015 when German authorities intercepted a file-sharing solicitation through a Peer to Peer (P2P) network linked directly to Lebrun’s digital footprint. Investigators from the HSI Cyber Crimes Center in Wiesbaden, Germany, accessed his library and downloaded multiple illegal files.

By September 2015, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Rhode Island confirmed the find, identifying approximately 21 images and 3 videos of child pornography. The FBI soon joined the probe, downloading additional files and engaging in online chats with Lebrun through the same P2P platform. Simultaneously, the Rhode Island State Police ICAC task force traced a Google email account containing illicit material—and a photo of Lebrun—to his identity.

On November 9, 2015, a joint raid by HSI, FBI, and Rhode Island State Police executed a court-authorized search at Lebrun’s Pawtucket home. Agents seized multiple electronic devices and storage cards. Forensic examination uncovered more than 200 videos and 90 images of child pornography—evidence prosecutors call both extensive and deeply disturbing.

Court records show Lebrun’s criminal history in child pornography cases began years earlier. On April 16, 2011, Warwick Police arrested him for possession; he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 3 years probation on November 10, 2011. Less than two years later, on April 17, 2013, he was arrested again by Rhode Island State Police for possession and transfer of child pornography. He pleaded guilty and received a 5-year sentence with 2 years to serve.

Lebrun, currently held in federal custody, is scheduled for sentencing on May 8, 2017, before Judge McConnell. He faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to 40 years in federal prison for distribution charges, plus up to 20 additional years for possession. Supervised release could last a lifetime. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gerard B. Sullivan.