CRANSTON, R.I. — A Cranston man was sentenced Thursday to 24 years in federal prison after admitting to producing child pornography, including images and videos of a 7-year-old girl who was in his care.

Gregory Phillips, 42, pleaded guilty on Jan. 31 to production and possession of child pornography. He had also admitted in court that he produced child pornography and repeatedly abused a young girl in his care beginning in late 2021. Court documents detail that over the course of nine months, Phillips produced 61 images and four videos of child pornography while abusing his victim.

“The heinousness of this defendant’s conduct is hard to overstate – not only did he betray the trust placed in him by sexually abusing a young victim in his care, but he also chose to memorialize that abuse for his own disgusting gratification,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary Cunha. “Today, thanks to the extraordinary investigative work of the Department of Homeland Security, the Rhode Island Police Department, and the Cranston Police Department, he faces the punishment he richly deserves.”

Prosecutors said Philips first came to law enforcement’s attention when state police reviewed a report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that showed a Rhode Island man possessed and distributed child pornography. State police and Cranston police later learned the images and videos were being transferred from an account linked to Philip’s phone number.

A forensic examination of the images and videos found on Phillipp’s phone revealed additional child pornography, along with other images Phillips had created during the abuse.

After his prison sentence, Phillips must serve ten years of federal probation.

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