Former RI Navy Pilot Given Life Sentence For Child Porn

MIDDLETOWN, RI — A former Navy pilot and Middletown resident will serve life in prison for child pornography charges.

Lieutenant Commander Ronald W. Zenga, 45, pleaded guilty in November to coercion of a minor, distribution of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography, the Rhode Island U.S. Attorney's office said. This week, he was given a life sentence in federal prison and ordered to pay the victim $500,000 in restitution.

"Cases involving the coercion and sexual exploitation of children are among the most heart-wrenching and disturbing cases that federal prosecutors confront," Acting U.S. Attorney Richard Myrus said. "This case is particularly troubling because, as the prosecutor in this case stated in a court filing, '[Zenga] abused the most sacred trust a human being can be given, responsibility for the health and well-being of another living soul.'"

Zenga was first indicted back in September 2019. A year earlier, Homeland Security Agents in Providence were notified that Zenga was communicating with a police officer in Bedfordshire, England, through a Russian file sharing website. Messages included graphic descriptions of "ongoing sexual encounters with a young minor child," Myrus' office said, spanning several years.

Zenga was arrested in October 2018. During the investigation, police seized his computer, finding child pornography and emails sharing and receiving it.

"Thanks to the work of our dedicated law enforcement partners both here and abroad, this defendant has been held to account for his vile crimes," Myrus continued. "We hope that today’s result will provide some relief to the victim in knowing that the man who preyed upon her will be safely locked away."