RI Priest Facing Child Porn Charges Appears In Federal Court

PROVIDENCE, RI — A Rhode Island priest facing child porn charges appeared in federal court Wednesday morning.

Father James W. Jackson, 66, is charged with distributing child pornography and possessing and accessing with intent to view child pornography.

In court, Jackson was released on an unsecured bond and allowed to travel to Kansas to live with a family member as he awaits trial.

According to court documents, on Sept. 4, 2021, an East Providence Detective assigned to the ICAC Task Force identified an IP address allegedly being utilized to share files of child sexual abuse material on a peer-to-peer file-sharing network.

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It was determined that the IP address was assigned to the rectory at St. Mary’s Church in Providence, where Jackson served as a priest.

Prosecutors said the IP address is believed to have been used multiple times between Sept. 26 and Oct. 17, 2021, to view and share videos consistent with child sexual abuse material.

On Saturday, the East Providence Detective and other members of the ICAC Task Force executed a court-authorized search of two rooms inside St. Mary’s rectory used by Jackson.

According to court documents, an on-scene forensic preview of a two-terabyte external digital storage device reportedly belonging to Jackson was found to contain videos to include prepubescent females, including infants and toddlers, engaged in various sexual acts.

Rhode Island State Police arrested Jackson on Saturday.

If found guilty during trial, Jackson could face up to 20 years in federal prison, with a minimum mandatory term of incarceration of five years for distributing child pornography. Possessing and accessing with intent to view child pornography is also punishable by up to 20 years of incarceration.

Anyone with additional information on this case should contact Homeland Security Investigations at 401-734-8114.