Rhode Island man sentenced to 40 years after ICE HSI child exploitation case

PROVIDENCE – A Rhode Island man who repeatedly recorded himself raping an unconscious minor and who possessed one of the largest collections of child pornography ever seized by law enforcement in Rhode Island was sentenced Aug. 22, to 40 years in federal prison. The investigation follows a multi-agency probe that included U.S. Immigration and Customs and Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Jordan Monroe, 54, has been detained in federal custody since his arrest by HSI special agents and members of the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force on May 12, 2016, when, during a court-authorized search of his residence, he was found to be in possession of tens of thousands of images and nearly a thousand videos containing child pornography.

According to information presented to the court, among a fraction of the more than 3.5 million picture files and 24,000 video files located on Monroe’s electronic devices and reviewed by law enforcement during a Project Safe Childhood investigation, more than 36,840 images and 960 videos were discovered to contain child pornography.

Among the videos reviewed are videos created by Monroe of himself repeatedly raping an unconscious minor child. The videos depict at least 19 different rapes, which took place over a period spanning at least three years.

Monroe was also found to be in possession of a manifesto for pedophiles titled, “How to Practice Child Love,” created to teach pedophiles how to find, isolate, molest, and rape children and not get caught.

“Today’s sentence is the result of the coordinated effort of a team of federal, state and local law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, who worked closely to ensure that justice was served in this disturbing case,” said Jason J. Molina, acting special agent in charge of HSI Boston. “The evidence unearthed in this investigation showed that this dangerous defendant, through his extensive crimes over many years, had no concern for the harm he repeatedly caused to the many child victims he exploited and victimized. We can only hope that today’s sentence might provide some small measure of justice for the victims who will undoubtedly suffer lifelong damages because of the actions of this depraved threat to our community.”

United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman commented, “The abhorrent conduct of this man and others like him who abuse and exploit children more than justifies the 40 years in federal prison the Court sentenced this defendant to serve. Federal, state, and local law enforcement and prosecutors will continue to tirelessly work as a team to use every resource available to identify and rescue victims of exploitation and to hold those responsible accountable.”

Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police Colonel James M. Manni added, “The Rhode Island State Police will continue to investigate and prosecute any and all child predators that prey on our most precious resource; our children. The State Police and the Internet Crimes Against Children task force are committed to protecting our children and to see that such malign and deviant behavior is stopped and the offenders are held accountable in a court of law.”

At the sentencing August 22, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith sentenced Monroe to 480 months (40 years) in federal prison to be followed by lifetime federal supervised release.

HSI’s participation was conducted under HSI’s Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 16,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child exploitation material, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2017, more than 2,700 child predators were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 900 victims identified or rescued.

HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196.

Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.

HSI is a founding member of the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement agencies and private industry sector partners working together to prevent and deter online child sexual abuse.