PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Paul J. Stabile, 39, of Cranston, Rhode Island, is staring down the barrel of a potential life sentence after admitting to a sickening campaign of online sexual exploitation of teenage boys. Stabile pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and one count of possession of child pornography, a case that exposes the dark underbelly of online predation.
According to court documents, between October and December 2017, Stabile crafted a false online identity – “Cindi Mennillo,” posing as a 16-year-old girl from Newport. He then used this fabricated persona to groom and manipulate vulnerable boys, aged 13 to 15, into performing explicit acts on live stream video via Facebook Messenger and Skype. The details are chilling: Stabile didn’t just solicit; he actively directed the minors, demanding live video of their abuse.
The case unraveled after a concerned mother in Nevada contacted the FBI, reporting that her 14-year-old son had been targeted by an online predator. Investigators quickly uncovered the digital trail – the disturbing chats between Stabile, masquerading as “Cindi,” and the victim. Stabile feigned technical issues to avoid reciprocating with video, instead sending the boy pornographic images and photos of an athletic young woman he claimed was “Cindi,” further cementing the deception.
In November 2018, federal agents executed a search warrant at Stabile’s Cranston residence. The raid yielded a trove of depravity: multiple computers and storage devices packed with child pornography. These weren’t isolated incidents; the seized materials contained videos of dozens of teenage boys engaged in similar acts to the Nevada victim, demonstrating a pattern of calculated abuse. The images sent to the victim were also recovered.
Stabile confessed to authorities that he intentionally created the “Cindi Mennillo” profile to prey on minors, sending them explicit content and coercing them into livestreaming sexual acts – all of which he recorded. This wasn’t a momentary lapse in judgment; it was a deliberate and sustained effort to exploit vulnerable children for his own twisted gratification.
Stabile will be sentenced on September 26, 2019. He faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in federal prison, but could receive a life sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI, with crucial support from the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Warwick and Cranston Police Departments, and the Washoe County, Nevada Sheriff’s Department. This case serves as a stark reminder of the ever-present danger lurking online and the importance of vigilance in protecting our children.
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Key Facts
- State: Rhode Island
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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