Fire marshal in RI facing federal child exploitation charges, accused of soliciting girls and boys
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'There were hundreds of files found on his phone that showed children naked or involved in sexual acts,' the motion said. 'Almond was not only viewing this content, but worse, he was actively seeking out young girls to send him videos to add to his collection.'
The motion said Almond 'admitted to soliciting child pornography from underage users online and paying them for it.'
During an initial appearance in federal court in Providence Friday afternoon, Almond was released on $10,000 bond and placed on home detention with a GPS monitor, a spokesperson for Leah B. Foley, US attorney for Massachusetts, said in an email.
Almond's next hearing will be held in US District Court in Boston, but has not yet been scheduled.
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Almond's lawyer, John L. Calcagni III, said he was 'not at liberty' to comment on his client's pending case, 'beyond acknowledging that he was arrested at his home this morning.'
'He fully cooperated with authorities at the time of his arrest; and is grateful to have been released on bail,' Calcagni said in an email Friday night.
Calcagni said until his office reviews the evidence prosecutors have gathered, Calcagni and his team won't 'be able to fully understand and evaluate the allegations against our client and supporting evidence, or lack thereof.'
According to charging documents, Almond chatted with minors online and solicited them for sexual content from Feb. 12, 2024 to Nov. 28, 2024. His first interaction with an undercover agent was in August 2024.
In exchanges with the agent Almond believed to be a 15-year-old girl, Almond allegedly discussed traveling to Florida and meeting at an Airbnb 'to get more privacy,' court filings said.
Prosecutors allege that Almond's collection of sexually explicit images and videos were of children as young as 10 and included hundreds of files of one young girl taken over a two-year period, as well as content Almond received from a 14-year-old boy via Snapchat, court records said.
Almond was indicted on four charges: receipt of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and two counts of attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor.
Tonya Alanez can be reached at
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Fire marshal in RI facing federal child exploitation charges, accused of soliciting girls and boys
'The nature of Almond's offenses is particularly disturbing considering his career in a position of trust as a first responder,' Assistant US Attorney Luke E. Goldworm wrote in the motion. Advertisement 'There were hundreds of files found on his phone that showed children naked or involved in sexual acts,' the motion said. 'Almond was not only viewing this content, but worse, he was actively seeking out young girls to send him videos to add to his collection.' The motion said Almond 'admitted to soliciting child pornography from underage users online and paying them for it.' During an initial appearance in federal court in Providence Friday afternoon, Almond was released on $10,000 bond and placed on home detention with a GPS monitor, a spokesperson for Leah B. Foley, US attorney for Massachusetts, said in an email. Almond's next hearing will be held in US District Court in Boston, but has not yet been scheduled. Advertisement Almond's lawyer, John L. Calcagni III, said he was 'not at liberty' to comment on his client's pending case, 'beyond acknowledging that he was arrested at his home this morning.' 'He fully cooperated with authorities at the time of his arrest; and is grateful to have been released on bail,' Calcagni said in an email Friday night. Calcagni said until his office reviews the evidence prosecutors have gathered, Calcagni and his team won't 'be able to fully understand and evaluate the allegations against our client and supporting evidence, or lack thereof.' According to charging documents, Almond chatted with minors online and solicited them for sexual content from Feb. 12, 2024 to Nov. 28, 2024. His first interaction with an undercover agent was in August 2024. In exchanges with the agent Almond believed to be a 15-year-old girl, Almond allegedly discussed traveling to Florida and meeting at an Airbnb 'to get more privacy,' court filings said. Prosecutors allege that Almond's collection of sexually explicit images and videos were of children as young as 10 and included hundreds of files of one young girl taken over a two-year period, as well as content Almond received from a 14-year-old boy via Snapchat, court records said. Almond was indicted on four charges: receipt of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and two counts of attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. Tonya Alanez can be reached at
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