Portsmouth school employee arrested on drug dealing, child solicitation charges

Colonel Ann C. Assumpico, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police and Director of the Department of Public Safety, announces the arrests of Douglas Marcel, age 32, of 3266 East Main Road, Apt. B, Portsmouth, on charges of indecent solicitation of a child, electronically disseminating indecent material to a minor and possession of heroin with intent to deliver; and Kaytlin Rogala, age 30, of 3266 East Main Road, Apt. B, Portsmouth, on the charge of possession of heroin with intent to deliver.

Douglas Marcel, age 32, of 3266 East Main Road, Apt. B, Portsmouth was charged with the following crimes after a warrant was obtained for his arrest and a search warrant was executed at his residence: Indecent Solicitation of a Child, Electronically Disseminating Indecent Material to a Minor Prohibited and Possession of Heroin with Intent to Deliver. Marcel is employed as a Classroom Behavioral Specialist at the Bradley School (Portsmouth). At this time, there is no evidence any of the students were victimized.

Kaytlin Rogala, age 30, of 3266 East Main Road, Apt. B, Portsmouth was also charged with Possession of Heroin with Intent to Deliver.

Rhode Island Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force members recently received a referral from the Pennsylvania State Police/ICAC Task Force regarding a Rhode Island resident indecently soliciting a 14-year-old female from Pennsylvania. After receiving this information, members of the RI ICAC initiated their own investigation into the suspect. During the month of December 2018, this individual engaged in a series of communications with a person he believed to be a 14-year-old female. The conversation quickly became sexually explicit, and the individual solicited what he believed to be a 14-year-old female to engage in sexual activity, and he also disseminated indecent material.

As a result of the investigation, members of the ICAC Task Force were able to identify the individual as Douglas Marcel of 3266 East Main Road, Apt. B, Portsmouth. Therefore, members obtained an arrest warrant for Douglas Marcel and a search warrant for his residence.

On January 8, 2019, ICAC Task Force members, with the assistance of members from the Portsmouth Police Department, executed the search warrant at 3266 East Main Road, Apt. B, Portsmouth. Marcel was located at the residence, along with his girlfriend, Kaytlin Rogala. A search of the residence resulted in the seizure of suspected heroin and paraphernalia associated with the delivery of heroin. In addition, several pieces of digital media were seized in connection with the child exploitation investigation involving Marcel.

Marcel was arrested and charged with the Indecent Solicitation of a Child, Electronically Disseminating Indecent Material to a Minor and Possession of Heroin with Intent to Deliver. Marcel was arraigned before Associate Judge Hastings and held without bail for the Possession of Heroin with Intent to Deliver charge. He was also issued $50,000.00 surety bail with special bail conditions of restricted internet use and no contact with minors for the child exploitation charges.

Rogala was arrested and charged with Possession of Heroin with Intent to Deliver. Rogala was arraigned before Associate Judge Hastings and held without bail.

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.