A federal indictment has been issued against Jeffrey Almond, the Fire Marshal for Lincoln, Rhode Island, on charges related to child sexual exploitation. Almond, 41, was arrested and faces one count of receipt of child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography, and two counts of attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor.
Authorities allege that between February 12 and November 28, 2024, Almond used several online platforms to obtain child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and engage in explicit chats with undercover law enforcement officers posing as minors. According to the indictment, Almond discussed exploiting children with the intention of obtaining CSAM or soliciting a minor for sex. On August 7 and November 28, 2024, he is accused of transferring or attempting to transfer obscene material to someone he believed was a minor.
Court documents state that in August 2024 Almond communicated through a social media app with an officer posing as a 15-year-old girl. During these conversations, Almond allegedly requested explicit images from the purported minor and suggested meeting in person. He reportedly said: “I guess I could do an air bnb to get more privacy,” before sending an explicit image.
In separate incidents during October and November 2024, Almond is alleged to have communicated with another undercover officer who pretended to be the parent of a fictitious 12-year-old girl in Florida. In these interactions, Almond described intentions to travel for the purpose of sexually exploiting the supposed minor.
If convicted on all charges, Almond faces significant penalties including mandatory minimum prison sentences ranging from five years up to potential terms totaling several decades. Sentencing will ultimately be determined by a federal judge based on statutory guidelines.
“United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Portsmouth Rhode Island Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and a member of the Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the case.”
The investigation is part of Project Safe Childhood—a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child exploitation crimes by coordinating efforts among federal prosecutors’ offices and other agencies (https://www.justice.gov/psc).
Officials emphasized that all details are allegations at this stage; “The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.”
