A Newport man who is alleged to have enticed a minor female to engage in illicit sexual activity and who was allegedly found to be in possession of child pornography has been ordered detained in federal custody, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Kyle Patrick Tormey, 39, the owner of Vinyl Guru on Broadway, has been charged via a federal criminal complaint with enticement of an individual less than eighteen years of age to engage in sexual activity, receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. He was ordered detained at his initial appearance in U.S. District Court on Friday.
It is alleged in charging documents that Tormey repeatedly communicated with a minor female on various social media platforms, enticing the young girl to provide him with photographs of herself and to meet with him to engage in illicit sexual activity. It is alleged that at the end of a sexual encounter in Tormey’s van in late December 2023, he gave the minor victim $200 in cash.
It is further alleged that as a result of the execution of federal court-authorized search warrants, law enforcement discovered multiple images of the minor victim in various stages of undress stored in social media accounts belonging to Tormey; numerous communications with the girl that led up to the alleged sexual encounter; and multiple images of other minors that constituted child pornography.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Milind M. Shah.
The matter was investigated by the FBI and West Warwick Police Department. United States Attorney Cunha thanks the Newport Police for their assistance during the investigation and arrest of the defendant.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims.
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