Father, son arrested on child porn charges
WOONSOCKET – An Eagle Scout and his father, both of whom were active in scout leadership, were arrested by the state police Friday morning on child pornography charges.
Arthur O. Pare, 52, was charged with possession and transfer of child pornography, while his son, Nicholas M. Pare, 23, was charged with possession of child pornography.
They were taken into custody after members of the State Police Computer Crimes Unit/Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force searched the residence the father and son share at 90 Laurier St., said Laura Kirk, spokeswoman for the state police.
Following an arraignment at Sixth District Court, the Pares were released on personal recognizance, with special bail conditions that included no contact with minors and a ban on use of the Internet.
The digital trail led to the Pare residence after ICAC task force members recently initiated an investigation regarding an individual sharing child pornography, the state police said. During a court-authorized search of the residence, investigators identified Arthur Pare as the owner of digital media used to possess and transfer child pornography.
ICAC members also identified digital media owned by Nicholas Pare on which child pornography was stored.
Members of the Task Force seized 40 items of digital media for further forensic analysis and additional charges may be pending.
The father and son were previously involved in the Boy Scouts of America, state police said. Arthur O. Pare was active with the Boy Scouts of America in Woonsocket from 2000 to 2014, holding various positions as a volunteer.
The elder Pare also acted as a Cub Master of Pack 6 from 2002 to 2004 and as an Assistant Scout Master for Troop 6 from 2006 to 2014. Nicholas M. Pare was a youth member in the Boy Scouts of America from 2000 to 2012, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout in 2009.
Nicholas M. Pare acted as the Assistant Scout Master of Troop 6 in 2012.
“At this time, there is no evidence of any inappropriate contact between the Pares and any of their former Cub Scouts,” according to state police. “However, the public is encouraged to contact a member of the Rhode Island State Police/ICAC Task Force at 401921-1170 if he/she has information that may forward this investigation.”
The Rhode Island ICAC Task Force actively engages in investigative efforts to identify subjects involved in child exploitation and related activities. The Rhode Island ICAC Task Force Program is administered by the Rhode Island State Police and supports a national network of multi-agency resources engaged in investigations, forensic examinations and prosecutions related to Internet crimes against children and technologyaided child sexual exploitation.