Providence Man Arrested for Internet Crimes Against Children

Colonel Steven G. O'Donnell, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police and Commissioner of Public Safety, announces that on May 8, 2014, members of the Detective Bureau arrested the following individuals:

• Giancarlo Fermin, age 27, of 82 Sackett Street, first floor, Providence Rhode Island for Pandering or Permitting Prostitution.
• Cristalis Liriano, age 22, of 1 River Place, Apartment 210, Lawrence, Massachusetts for Prostitution.

The investigation was initiated by the State Police Computer Crimes Unit/ICAC Task Force after members investigated an advertisement posting on the website Backpage.com. Backpage.com is a classified website with free advertisements. The advertisement in question displayed photographs of a young female offering escort services in the Cranston area.

Through coordination and assistance with the Rhode Island State Police Major Crimes Unit, the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, and agents from the Department of Homeland Security, detectives initiated communication with the subject posting the advertisement and scheduled a meeting at a hotel in the City of Warwick. At approximately 3:30 p.m. an undercover detective, posing as a customer, met with Ms. Liriano in a room at the hotel. Ms. Liriano allegedly negotiated with the undercover detective for sexual services and was placed under arrest. Outside the room other detectives stopped and arrested Ginacarlo Fermin after he was allegedly observed dropping Ms. Liriano off at the front of the hotel. Further investigation revealed that Ms. Liriano had also allegedly been transported by Mr. Fermin for other meetings for sexual services.

Both Cristalis Liriano and Giancarlo Fermin were arraigned on the above-stated charges by Justice of the Peace Daniel Connors at State Police Headquarters. Ms. Liriano was released on $2,000 Personal Recognizance. Mr. Fermin was presented as a probation violator and held at the ACI on $50,000 surety bail. On February 7, 2011, Mr. Fermin was sentenced on charges of Possession with Intent to Deliver Heroin and Bribery to ten years with three years to serve at the Adult Correctional Institute and the remainder of the sentence suspended with probation. Mr. Fermin is scheduled for a bail hearing in Third Division District Court today.

The Rhode Island Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force actively engages in investigative efforts to identify subjects involved in child exploitation-related activities. The Rhode Island ICAC Task Force Program is administered by the Rhode Island State Police and supports a national network of multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task forces engaged in investigations, forensic examinations, and prosecutions related to Internet crimes against children and technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation. The Rhode Island ICAC Task Force is comprised of members of the Rhode Island State Police Computer Crimes Unit along with detectives from the Coventry Police Department, Warwick Police Department, Pawtucket Police Department, Woonsocket Police Department, Portsmouth Police Department, North Kingstown Police Department, Jamestown Police Department, Bristol Police Department, South Kingstown Police Department; and special agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and United States Postal Inspection Services (USPS).

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