Child pornography suspect pleads guilty

PROVIDENCE R.I. (WPRI) – A local man has pleaded guilty to child pornography charges in federal court.

Court officials say that Thomas Wells, 32, of Warren, pleaded guilty as charged to one count of both possession and distribution of child pornography.

Police say that a Postal Inspection Service inspector and ICAC agents had evidence that child pornography had been traded through the Internet from Wells’ house. Police then conducted an authorized search of his home and discovered hundreds of child pornography images.

Court officials say Wells admitted that he had been downloading and distributing child pornography through a network used to trade the images.

This case was a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide program launched in 2006 in order to protect against child exploitation and abuse.

Wells is scheduled to be sentenced on October 23, and could face up to 50 years in federal prison with a minimum sentence of five years.