PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — A former Providence priest accused of downloading hundreds of images and videos of child pornography has pleaded guilty, according to U.S. Attorney Zachary Cunha.

Father James Jackson admitted in federal court Thursday to accessing child pornography while serving as a pastor at St. Mary’s Church nearly two years ago.

Jackson was arrested in November 2021 after detectives identified an IP address that was sharing “child sexual abuse materials” through a peer-to-peer network. That IP address was eventually traced back to the rectory at St. Mary’s, where Jackson was living at the time.

Cunha said detectives uncovered more than 12,000 images and 1,300 videos depicting child sexual abuse on Jackson’s computer and an external hard drive, both of which were found in his bedroom.

Jackson was released into the custody of his sister, who lives in Kansas, following his initial court appearance.

Cunha said Jackson was arrested again last July, when detectives in Kansas learned the former priest was once again downloading and disseminating child pornography. While searching his bedroom, Cunha said detectives found a computer and external hard drive.

The detectives noticed that a number of files “with names indicative of child sexual abuse” had been deleted from the external hard drive, according to Cunha.

Jackson, who was returned to Rhode Island following his arrest in Kansas, pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography in connection with the initial case. He’s scheduled to be sentenced in September.