Youth tennis instructor arrested on child pornography charges

Colonel James M. Manni, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police and Director of the Department of Public Safety, announces the arrest of a youth tennis instructor on child pornography charges.

Thomas E. Gallagher, age 75, of 39 Farewell St., Apartment 109, Newport, was charged with possession of child pornography after the Rhode Island Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force obtained an arrest warrant for Mr. Gallagher based on evidence obtained during an ICAC investigation. He was arrested earlier today.

Gallagher was arraigned at Second Division District Court before Magistrate Patrick O’Neill and released him on $50,000 personal recognizance with special bail conditions of no internet access and no contact with minors.

For approximately the past fifteen years, Gallagher has been employed as a tennis instructor at the Spouting Rock Beach Association, also known as Bailey’s Beach Club. From 1997 until 2004, Gallagher was a substitute teacher and part-time youth tennis coach at Saint Michael’s Country Day School in Newport. Gallagher was previously employed as a youth tennis coach for the Newport Recreation Department.

This investigation is ongoing and anyone with further information regarding Mr. Gallagher is encouraged to contact the Rhode Island State Police/Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force at (401) 921-1170.

The Rhode Island ICAC Task Force actively engages in investigative efforts to identify subjects involved in child exploitation-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, multi-jurisdictional task forces engaged in investigations, forensic examinations, and prosecutions related to Internet crimes against children and technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation. The Rhode Island ICAC Task Force is comprised of members of the Rhode Island State Police Computer Crimes Unit along with detectives from the Warwick Police Department, Cranston Police Department, Newport Police Department, East Providence Police Department, Pawtucket Police Department, Bristol Police Department, North Kingstown Police Department, Woonsocket Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations.