Scituate Resident Sentenced for Interstate Travel to Engage in Illicit Sexual Contact

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Randy A. Collins, 44, of Scituate, R.I., was sentenced Thursday to 24 months in federal prison for traveling interstate with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. Collins previously admitted to the court that on September 2, 2015, he left his place of employment in Franklin, Mass., during his workday, to meet in Rhode Island and have sex with a person he believed to be a 14-year-old female. The person he had been communicating with online was actually a Rhode Island State Police Detective assigned to the Rhode Island Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force.

At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith also ordered Collins to serve 10 years supervised release upon completion of his prison term. Collins pleaded guilty on March 10, 2015, to interstate travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.

Collins’ sentence is announced by United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Colonel Steven G. O’Donnell, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police, and Matthew J. Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for New England.

At the time of his guilty plea, Collins admitted to the court that he answered an advertisement posted on Craigslist which he believed was posted by a 14-year old female seeking to obtain an iPhone6. According to information presented to the court, during an exchange of emails the State Police Detective posing as the young teenager repeatedly informed Collins that he was communicating with a 14-year-old. Collins acknowledged the information and responded that he was still interested in meeting with her. Collins turned the exchange to a sexual nature and proposed providing the iPhone in exchange for sex.

Collins was arrested by Rhode Island State Police and agents from Homeland Security Investigations when he arrived at a location in Cranston, R.I., where he believed he was going to meet with a young teenage girl.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams.

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