Local registered sex offender convicted for a third time on child pornography charges

PROVIDENCE – A registered sex offender previously convicted on child pornography charges in 2010 and in 2014, and incarcerated, pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence Wednesday to a charge of possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

In January 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children notified the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force that six files of child sexual abuse material and been uploaded. A Homeland Security Investigations agent viewed one of the files and determined that it contained images of child pornography. Further investigation by a State Police detective assigned to the ICAC Task Force determined that the images were uploaded from an IP address assigned to the residence of 33-year-old Christopher J. Skinner, of Providence.

On February 16, 2022, law enforcement executed a federal warrant to search Skinner’s residence. A forensic review of Skinner’s phone identified approximately 29 images containing child sexual abuse material.

According to court records, in 2010, Skinner was convicted of possession of child pornography by the United States Air Force and sentenced to 2 years of confinement and dishonorable discharge from the Air Force; and in 2014, Skinner was convicted of possession of child pornography in Rhode Island state court and sentenced to 10 years of incarceration – 3 years to serve.

Skinner has also been convicted of failure to register as a sex offender.

At sentencing on October 6, 2022, Skinner faces a statutory penalty of a minimum of 10 years of incarceration to be followed by a term of up to lifetime supervised release. The defendant’s sentence will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee H. Vilker.