A youth basketball coach with local ties will serve prison time for child pornography charges and multiple counts of solicitation of a minor.  Jason Elliott, 43, pleaded nolo contendre before Superior Court Justice Kristin E. Rodgers to possession of child pornography, transfer of child pornography, and multiple counts of indecent solicitation of a minor. At the time of his arrest in November, 2013, Mr. Elliott was an organizer and coach for the Rhode Island Hawks AAU youth basketball program, which sponsors basketball teams for boys in grades 5 through 12. The program was based at 1 Kenyon Lane, Warren.

"A clinical social worker who was treating Mr. Elliott became concerned about some of his actions and statements and contacted our computer crimes unit," said Maj. Todd Catlow of the Rhode Island State Police.

Police did not reveal the cause of the social worker's suspicion. State police found two computers and several thumb drives containing child pornography at his Blodgett Avenue apartment in Pawtucket, where he has lived for the past three months. Records indicate Mr. Elliott lived in Warren at 27 Laurel Lane, Apt. B, from 1998 to 2003 and later lived in Warren at the Kenyon Lane address he used for the basketball program.

"Unfortunately, I cannot confirm where he resided prior to his arrest or if he used to hang out at Mt. Hope .  I know the Hawks is a traveling league, and players come from across the state, but that's the extent of the information we had from the investigation, said AG Public Information Officer Amy Kempe.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, Mr. Elliott was sentenced to a total of 12 years with four years to serve and the remainder suspended with probation. Of the four years to serve, Mr. Elliott will serve the first two years at the ACI followed by two years on home confinement. In addition, he must undergo sex offender counseling and comply with the sex offender registration and community notification statute. He was ordered to have no contact with the juveniles whom he solicited, cannot reside with or have unsupervised contact with anyone 17 years of age or under, and his access to computers and the Internet was severely restricted.

Had the case proceeded to trial, Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin was prepared to prove that a Rhode Island State Police search of the defendant’s computer uncovered in excess of 500 child pornographic images and videos.  It was later determined through a forensic investigation of the computer that the defendant shared child pornographic images with other individuals.  Additionally, the defendant established a fake profile of a teenage girl on the Kik messenger app to entice teenage boys to send him illicit photos.

“Hiding behind the mask of coach and mentor was a deviant sexual predator,” said Mr.  Kilmartin.

The Rhode Island State Police Computer Crimes Unit led the investigation. Assistant Attorney General Ronald Gendron prosecuted the case on behalf of the Office of Attorney General.