PROVIDENCE, RI – John Q. Adams, 36, of Foster, Rhode Island, has admitted to a sickening crime: downloading and hoarding child sexual abuse material. The plea, entered today, adds another layer of depravity to a man already facing consequences for attempting to meet a minor for sexual purposes.
According to court documents, Adams knowingly downloaded and stored an explicit video on January 13, 2021. The video depicted the sexual abuse of a child, involving two adult males and a prepubescent female. A deeper dive by investigators revealed the horror didn’t stop there. Adams had amassed a digital collection of depravity – a total of 112 images and 49 videos of child sexual abuse material.
This isn’t Adams’s first brush with the law related to exploiting children. He was previously convicted and incarcerated for sharing sexually explicit photographs online, believing he was communicating with a 13-year-old girl. He then attempted to meet her near her middle school with the intent of engaging in sexual acts. The details of that prior case were not immediately released, but paint a chilling picture of a repeat offender.
Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom announced the guilty plea, stating the Department of Justice will continue to aggressively pursue those who prey on the most vulnerable. Adams is scheduled to be sentenced on October 21, 2025. The final sentence will be handed down by a federal district judge, taking into account U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other relevant factors. Expect a lengthy prison term.
The investigation was a collaborative effort between Homeland Security Investigations and the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative dedicated to combating the escalating epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project pools resources from federal, state, and local agencies to arrest predators and rescue victims.
If you suspect online child sexual exploitation or abuse, do not remain silent. Report it immediately. You can contact the Know2Protect Tipline at 1-833-591-KNOW (5669) or submit a report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline® at https://report.cybertip.org/. Assistant United States Attorney Denise M. Barton is prosecuting the case.
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Key Facts
- State: Rhode Island
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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