Stephen Ferrante, 61, of East Greenwich, is behind bars on federal charges after allegedly attempting to lure an 8-year-old girl into sexual activity through a series of explicit online messages and phone calls. Ferrante appeared Thursday in U.S. District Court in Providence before Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond, who ordered him held without bond pending trial on a criminal complaint charging him with attempting to persuade, induce, entice, or coerce a minor to engage in sexual activity.
Court documents allege Ferrante initiated contact by posting on Craigslist.com, seeking "open minded" parents willing to allow their daughter to "be naked in a group setting." A Rhode Island State Police detective, posing as the stepfather of an 8-year-old girl, responded. What followed over eight days, from January 4 to January 12, 2017, was a disturbing exchange of emails, texts, and phone calls in which Ferrante openly expressed his intent to engage in sexual acts with the child.
According to investigators, Ferrante believed the girl would be available during a planned in-person meeting in Warwick on January 12. He arrived at the designated location expecting access to the minor. Instead, he was met by law enforcement and arrested on two counts of solicitation. He was initially processed in state court and released on bail before federal authorities unsealed the criminal complaint.
The arrest was the result of an investigation led by the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, with support from Homeland Security Investigations for New England. U.S. Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Colonel Ann C. Assumpico, and Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. Etre announced the federal charges Thursday, underscoring the coordinated effort to dismantle predators operating online.
Ferrante now faces a potential sentence of 10 years to life in federal prison, followed by up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine if convicted. The charge—attempting to entice a minor into sexual activity—carries the harshest penalties under federal law, reflecting the gravity of the offense. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee H. Vilker is prosecuting the case.
The federal criminal complaint remains an allegation, and Ferrante is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Authorities remind the public that online predators often use anonymity to exploit children, and urge vigilance in monitoring digital interactions involving minors.
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Key Facts
- State: Rhode Island
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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