PROVIDENCE – In a chilling turn of events, 25-year-old William Schock from South Kingstown has been hit with federal charges for distributing and possessing child pornography. Today’s arrest followed an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Providence.
The grim allegations suggest that Schock shared sexually explicit images of a prepubescent female using an online social media app, while also downloading and storing video files depicting child pornography. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents were pivotal in the investigation, uncovering evidence through an IP address linked to Schock’s residence.
During a court-authorized search of Schock’s home, HSI agents found a password-protected app containing numerous videos depicting child pornography on his cell phone. The defendant appeared before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Sullivan, charged with distribution and possession of child pornography.
Schock has a sordid past, having been arrested by the Rhode Island State Police in 2015 for indecent solicitation of a child. He pleaded guilty to two counts of cyberstalking in 2016. Today’s charges carry serious penalties, with distribution punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison and possession carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment.
United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael S. Shea, and Rhode Island State Police Superintendent Colonel James M. Manni announced the charges against Schock. He was released to home confinement with electronic GPS monitoring.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Terrence P. Donnelly. As a federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation, Schock is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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Key Facts
- State: Rhode Island
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Cybercrime|Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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