North Providence man sentenced to five years after child pornography conviction

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — A North Providence man will serve five years in federal prison for possessing and distributing child pornography, according to the office of United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Mark Peterson, 46, was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court to 60 months of incarceration followed by 15 years of federal supervised release.

Peterson was convicted after pleading guilty on September 6 to distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography.

The Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force was notified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in February of 2022 that a person using the IP address at Peterson’s home had sent 114 files depicting child sexual abuse through an online messaging application.

A court-authorized search warrant executed by ICAC on Peterson’s residence in April of 2022 led to the discovery of more than 1,300 files depicting child sexual abuse on multiple cell phones.

Also obtained in the search were screen recordings in which Peterson falsely portrayed himself as 15 years old.