Rhode Island

YMCA camp counselor arrested for possession of child pornography

A Greater Providence YMCA spokesperson said that Ryan Minasian has been fired and they have confirmed with law enforcement that no children at the summer camp had any inappropriate involvement with the 19-year-old

WJAR

A Pawtucket, Rhode Island, man who worked as a YMCA camp counselor this summer has been arrested for allegedly possessing child pornography.

Rhode Island State Police tell NBC10 Boston affiliate WJAR that they were led to Ryan Minasian's home, at 57 Makin Street, after launching an investigation into a person sharing files of child pornography on the internet .

After searching the home Wednesday, 19-year-old Minasian was identified as the owner of the child pornography files, state police said. He was taken into custody and later arraigned, where he was released on $2,500 surety bail and ordered not to have unsupervised contact with minors and restricted internet access.

According to WJAR, Minasian had been working this summer as a camp counselor at the Newman YMCA in Seekonk, Massachusetts.

State police tell WJAR that there's no evidence at this time that shows any inappropriate involvement with campers.

A YMCA spokesperson tells WJAR that Minasian has been fired, and they are cooperating fully with police on this matter.

"These charges are deeply troubling," Greater Providence YMCA told WJAR in a statement. "We have confirmed with law enforcement that there is no indication that any member children are suspected of being in harm’s way."

The Y spokesperson went on to say that they prioritize the safety of their members and always conduct a full background check on all employees prior to hiring, as they did for Minasian.

Additionally, the spokesperson said they have pursued a no trespass order against Minasian for all of their properties.

Rhode Island State Police are asking anyone with information regarding Minasian to contact their Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force at 401-921-1170.

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