More child porn arrests possible

SCITUATE, R.I. (WPRI) - Eyewitness News is learning more about Operation Safe Child.

17 suspects were arrested and charged with child pornography possession on Wednesday, and now investigators say there may be more arrests to come.

The months-long investigation led detectives to 20 homes, where software helped them target computers sharing the highest volume of child pornography in the state.

No illegal images were found inside 3 of those homes, but hard drives were collected. In one of those cases, State Police learned the suspect was out of state. They later greeted him at T.F. Green Airport, seizing his laptop, but no arrest was made. Now detectives are now conducting forensic analysis on the computers belonging to those three men.

The men who have been arrested are accused of possessing images of infants and children in sexual acts. They were arraigned before a justice of the peace at State Police headquarters in Scituate.

39-year old suspect Shawn Fay of Scituate coached a local little league baseball team and has owned the Providence business, Regal Reptiles.

Outside State Police headquarters, Fay told Eyewitness News, "I downloaded movies and stuff and apparently there were some that were underage."

In a guest appearance on the Rhode Show last February, Fay showed off some of his reptiles used for demonstrations at schools and various children's groups. "We still do schools, and lectures and programs and birthday parties."

It appears no children from RI were pictured in the images in this case, but police say their investigation is on-going and they won't rule out that children from this area could be victims.

Col. Brendan Doherty of the RI State Police says, "I guess the message for people who engage in this type of activity, we will continue our investigation and we will get them."

The suspects were released on personal recognizance. All 17 were ordered not to use the internet and to avoid contact with anyone under the age of 18, including their own children.