Providence Reporter

A federal jury in Providence, Rhode Island, has found David A. Skally guilty of child pornography charges. This marks the second conviction for Skally, a registered sex offender from Cranston. He was previously convicted in December 2016 for possessing and accessing child pornography with intent to view and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release.

United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha announced the verdict delivered on Friday, December 6, 2024. During his supervised release period, Skally committed new offenses leading to this recent conviction after a four-day trial.

"Undeterred by his prior conviction, this defendant chose to continue in a course of conduct that victimized and contributed to the horrific abuse of children," stated U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. "This Office is likewise undeterred in its determination to stand up for the most vulnerable among us, and with this verdict, we have ensured that the public will be kept safe from this defendant for years to come."

HSI New England’s Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol added: "Despite a previous federal conviction and prison time, Skally chose to again seek out child sexual abuse material knowing full well the harm it causes to children and the legal consequences he would face. A federal jury has found Skally guilty and he is once again facing significant time in federal prison."

Evidence presented at trial revealed that between June 5, 2020, and April 5, 2021, Skally admitted during examinations by his sex-offender treatment team to viewing sexually explicit images of children over ten times while on supervised release. Some images depicted children aged eleven or younger engaged in explicit conduct.

Further investigations uncovered several images of child pornography on Skally's computer, including adults engaging in sexual activity with prepubescent victims. The jury concluded that Skally possessed and accessed these materials with intent to view them.

Skally's sentencing is scheduled for March 13, 2024. Due to his prior conviction, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in federal prison as determined by a federal district judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant United States Attorneys Ronald R. Gendron and Denise M. Barton are prosecuting the case with assistance from Assistant United States Attorneys Christine D. Lowell and John P. McAdams.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Probation Department and Homeland Security Investigations under Project Safe Childhood—an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation nationwide.