Child Porn Trading Ex-Coach Sentenced after No Contest Plea

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Elliott coached in the town of Warren. That information was based on an incorrect report from 2013 that was used for this story. We apologize for and regret the error.

A former sports league coach has pleaded no contest to possession and transfer of child porn and multiple counts of soliciting minors and will spend four years in prison.

Jason Elliott, 43, of Providence, was sentenced by Superior Court Justice Kristin E. Rodgers to 12 years, four to serve, and the remainder suspended with probation. He will be also listed as a sex offender and faces computer and internet restrictions upon release, according to the state Attorney General’s Office.

Elliott was arrested in 2013 as he served as an organizer and coach for the Rhode Island Hawks AAU youth basketball program.

According to court records, a state police search of Elliott’s computer uncovered 500 child porn videos and pictures. Forensic investigation showed that he also shared porn with other people on the Internet and had created a fake profile and pretended to be a teenage girl on the Kik messenger app to entice underage boys to send him nude photos.

“Hiding behind the mask of coach and mentor was a deviant sexual predator,” Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin said in a statement. “As distasteful as it may be to think or talk about a distasteful case such as this, parents should use this as an opportunity to speak with their children about how to protect themselves online, especially when asked for indecent images and personal information. There are many apps and websites that allow sexual predators to pretend they are someone they are not with the goal of exploiting children for their own sexual pleasure. It is a scary and disturbing thought for parents to consider, but one that needs to be addressed.”

In all, Elliott was convicted of possession of child pornography, transfer of child pornography, and multiple counts of indecent solicitation of a minor. Of the four years of his time to serve, two will be at the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston and the remainder will be served on home confinement.

In addition, Elliott was ordered undergo sex offender counseling, he is barred from contacting his juvenile victims, can’t live with or have unsupervised contact with anyone under 17 and “his access to computers and the Internet was severely restricted,” Kilmartin said.

At the time of his arrest, the state police said that a clinical social worker treating Elliot was alarmed by statements he made. The social worker contacted the state police’s computer crime unit.