Youth baseball coach arrested for allegedly soliciting a child online

January 26, 2019 11:45 am

By News Staff

Email: news@abc6

Twitter: @ABC6

WARWICK, R.I (WLNE) – A youth baseball coach from Connecticut was arrested in a Warwick hotel for allegedly soliciting a 14-year-old boy to engage in sexual activity online.

The arrest stemmed from an investigation by members of the Rhode Island Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.

During the month of January, the individual later identified as Christopher Merchant, a 33-year old from Canterbury, who is the Vice President and coach of Plainfield Little League, engaged in a series of dialogue with a person he believed to be a 14-year-old boy.

According to police, the conversation quickly became sexually explicit.

He allegedly disseminated indecent material and solicited a person that he believed was a 14-year-old boy to engage in sexual activity at the hotel in Warwick.

As a result of the investigation, members of the ICAC task force obtained a warrant for his arrest.

State police say when they arrested Merchant, they found child pornography on his phone.

Merchant was charged with: Possession of Child Pornography, two counts of Indecent Solicitation of a child, and three counts of Electronically Disseminating Indecent Material to a Minor.

Acting Superintendent of Rhode Island State Police, and Acting Director of the Rhode Island Department of Public Safety, Lt. Col. Barry stated, “At this time, there is no evidence of any involvement with members of the Plainfield Little League.”

Merchant was ordered held at the Adult Correctional Institutions on $100,000 surety bail pending arraignment in District Court on Monday.