RI man posing as girl to persuade teens, sentenced to prison

PROVIDENCE – Paul J. Stabile, 39, of Cranston, who used an online persona of “Cindi Mennillo,” a 16-year-old girl from Newport, to persuade numerous young boys between the ages of 13-15 to engage in explicit sexual activity in live stream videos over Facebook Messenger and Skype, was sentenced today to 151 months in federal prison.

The investigation that led to identifying Stabile as a person directing young teenage boys to participate in sexually explicit live-stream videos began in December 2017, when the mother of a 14 year-old boy in Nevada reported to the FBI that her son was the victim of an online enticement. The investigation uncovered chats between Stabile, pretending to be 16 year-old “Cindi Mennillo,” and the minor victim. During some of the conversations, Stabile directed the young teenager to send back live video streams of himself participating in sexually explicit acts. To deceive the minor victim, Stabile falsely claimed technical difficulties were preventing “Cindi” from reciprocating with live video. Instead Stabile sent the young teenager images, both pornographic and non-pornographic, of an athletic young female purported to be “Cindi.”

On November 20, 2018, a federal court-authorized search of Stabile’s residence resulted in the seizure of several computers and other digital media devices and the arrest of Stabile. Forensic audits of the devices resulted in the discovery of hundreds of images and videos of child pornography, including videos of dozens of young teenage boys performing a sex act in a similar manner to the Nevada-based minor victim. Also found were the images sent by “Cindi” to the minor victim in Nevada.

Stabile pleaded guilty on June 12, 2019, to inducement of a minor to engage in illicit sexual activity and possession of child pornography. At sentencing today, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith sentenced Stabile to 151 months in federal prison to be followed by lifetime supervised release.

Stabile’s sentence is announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Joseph R. Bonavolonta.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams.

The matter was investigated by the FBI, with assistance from members of the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Warwick and Cranston Police, and the Washoe County, Nevada Sherriff’s Department.