Cranston Man Sentenced For Producing Child Porn Of 7-Year-Old Girl In His Care

CRANSTON, RI — A Cranston man was sentenced Thursday to 24 years in federal prison after admitting he produced child pornography, including pictures and videos of a 7-year-old girl who was left in his care.

Gregory Phillips, 42, pleaded guilty on Jan. 31 to production of child pornography and possession of child pornography. He also previously admitted to the court that beginning in late 2021, he produced child pornography and molested a young girl left in his care numerous times. Court documents detail that, over the span of nine months, Phillips produced 61 pictures and four videos of child pornography while abusing his victim.

"It is hard to overstate the repugnance of this defendant’s conduct — not only did he betray the trust placed in him by sexually assaulting a young victim in his care, but he chose to memorialize that abuse for his own revolting gratification," U.S. Attorney Zachary Cunha said. "Today, thanks to exceptional investigative work by Homeland Security, the Rhode Island State Police, and the Cranston Police Department, he faces a sentence that he has richly earned."

Prosecutors said Philips first came to the attention of law enforcement when state police reviewed a report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children indicating that a Rhode Island man possessed and transferred child pornography. State and Cranston police later learned the pictures and videos were being transferred from an account linked to Philips’s phone number.

A forensic review of images and videos located on Phillip's phone led to the discovery of the images created by Phillips in the course of his abuse, as well as additional child pornography.

Following his prison sentence, Phillips must serve 10 years of federal supervised release.

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