NK Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing 7,500+ Images of Child Porn

A North Kingstown man is facing up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine after pleading guilty to possessing more than 7,500 images of child pornography.

Leon Tousignant, 67, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography today in federal court in Providence and could now face up to 10 years in a federal prison, supervised release for a term of five years to life and up to a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced on March 15 by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Mary Lisi.

Tousignant admitted that more than 600 images of child pornography, discovered on his laptop in June 2011, belonged to him. The 67-year-old Tousignant also admitted that several thousand images found on a thumb drive located in his home after his arrest by North Kingstown police were also his.

According to reports from the North Kingstown Police Department, Tousignant's girlfriend's son discovered the images on Tousignant's laptop and brought it to headquarters on June 28. According to police, one video, titled "Kitty 3," showed a child that appeared to be "no more than three to four years old."

The images have been submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to determine if any known of previously identified victims are included in the images.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams and investigated by the North Kingstown Police Department with the assistance of the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crime Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.