Former RI Substitute Teacher Pleads to New Child Porn Charges While on Probation

Justin Menoche, age 26, with a last known address of 366 Wickenden Street, Providence, pled guilty yesterday before Superior Court Justice William Carnes to child pornography and indecent solicitation of a minor. Menoche, a former Burrillville substitute teacher, committed the new charges while on probation from a previous conviction of possession of child pornography.

During a routine check of the defendant, probation officials found that Menoche was using apps on his computer to communicate with underage girls to solicit pornographic photos and was in possession of child pornography. He previously pled guilty in October 2013 to possession of child pornography for which he received a sentence of five years, with one to serve on home confinement and the remainder suspended with probation. In addition, he was required to register as a sex offender and severely restricted access to computers and the Internet.

On October 2, 2014, the Rhode Island State Police Computer Crimes Unit/Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force arrested Menoche for violating the terms of his probation. He was presented as a probation violator and ordered held without bail. On October 14, 2014, Menoche was arraigned on the new charges of indecent solicitation of a minor and possession of child pornography.

Yesterday, before Justice Carnes, Menoche admitted being in violation of his probation and was sentenced to three years to serve. In addition, he pled guilty to the new charges and received a sentence of three years to serve for indecent solicitation of a minor, to run concurrent to his violation, and five years suspended with probation for possession of child pornography, to run consecutive. In addition, the Court imposed new restrictions including no access to a computer or smartphone for the duration of his entire sentence and no contact with the victim.

"Justin Menoche is a sexual predator who uses technology to lure unsuspecting and naïve young girls into his twisted and despicable web of pornography," said Attorney General Peter Kilmartin. "Protecting children from predators – online or on the street – is a priority for my administration, and is why I have pushed for stricter child pornography laws to protect children from the predators who use deceit to victimize them."

The Adult Probation and Parole Division of the Department of Corrections and the Rhode Island State Police Computer Crimes Unit/Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force led the investigation and Assistant Attorney General Ronald Gendron, chief of the White Collar Crime Unit, prosecuted the case on behalf of the Office of Attorney General.

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