Federal and state law enforcement officials arrested John Daniel Macintyre, 32, on charges of possessing child pornography following a court-authorized search of his East Greenwich residence Wednesday.

Federal Homeland Security Investigations agents and members of the R.I. State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force seized electronic devices that upon preliminary examination showed images and videos of child pornography. 

Law enforcement first found the IP address and linked it to Macintyre’s home; officials said he accessed and downloaded child pornography from websites accessible via the “dark web.” 

According to court documents, it is alleged that the dark web website accessed by Macintyre facilitates the sharing of child abuse materials such as images, links, and videos, with an explicit focus on indecent material depicting boys. Accessing the website on the dark web required numerous affirmative steps by the user and, to do so, Macintyre is alleged to have downloaded a special browser and software designed specifically to facilitate anonymous communication over the Internet.

During the search of Macintyre’s residence, officials seized a laptop computer, 11 digital storage hard drives, and a cellular telephone allegedly belonging to Macintyre. Several videos of child pornography were allegedly discovered during a brief forensic review of one of the devices conducted by a Rhode Island State Police Computer Forensics Analyst.