Eugenio Lopes Gomes, Possession of Child Pornography, Rhode Island 2024

A shocking discovery in the world of cybercrime has led to the sentencing of a Pawtucket man to three years in federal prison for possessing child pornography.

Eugenio Lopes Gomes, 47, was found to be in possession of more than 17,000 images and dozens of videos of explicit material depicting children ranging in ages from one to twelve years old.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children notified law enforcement in August 2023 that a telephone number, later determined to belong to Gomes, was being used to upload child pornography. A court-authorized search and forensic audit of Gomes’ electronic devices confirmed the presence of the illicit material.

Gomes pleaded guilty on September 24, 2024, to a charge of possession of child pornography. In a subsequent hearing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. sentenced Gomes to 36 months of incarceration, to be followed by three years of federal supervised release.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julienne Kline, with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter I. Roklan. The matter was investigated by the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations.

The investigation and subsequent sentencing serve as a stark reminder of the importance of vigilance in the fight against child exploitation.

In related news, the public is encouraged to report any suspected cases of child exploitation to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at https://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/cybertip.

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