Lincoln fire marshal indicted on child exploitation offenses

LINCOLN, R.I. — A fire marshal for the town of Lincoln, Jeffrey Almond, 41, has been arrested and indicted on charges related to child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and inappropriate communications with individuals he believed to be minors.

According to the indictment, Almond faces the following charges:

• One count of receipt of child pornography

• One count of possession of child pornography

• Two counts of attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor

Almond made his initial court appearance in federal court in Providence and is expected to appear in Boston federal court at a later date.

Federal prosecutors allege that between February 12 and November 28, 2024, Almond used various online platforms to receive CSAM and engage in sexually explicit conversations with individuals he believed to be underage. These individuals were actually undercover law enforcement officers.

In one instance from August 2024, Almond is alleged to have used a social media platform to communicate with an officer posing as a 15-year-old girl. 

During these conversations, he reportedly requested explicit material and suggested meeting in person, stating, “I guess I could do an Airbnb to get more privacy,” before sending an explicit photo of himself.

In a separate case during October and November 2024, Almond allegedly engaged with another undercover officer posing as the parent of a fictional 12-year-old girl in Florida.

Investigators claim Almond expressed interest in sexually exploiting the child and discussed traveling to Florida for that purpose.

He has been released on bail and is awaiting his next court appearance.

If convicted, the charges carry the following penalties:

• Receipt of child pornography: 5 to 20 years in prison, at least 5 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000

• Possession of child pornography: up to 20 years in prison, at least 5 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000

• Attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor: up to 10 years in prison per count, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000

Final sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge in accordance with the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and applicable federal statutes.

Lincoln fire marshal indicted on child exploitation offenses.