Former Woonsocket gym teacher guilty of child molestation

Published on Friday, October 25, 2024

Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced today that a Warwick man has been found guilty in Kent County Superior Court of sexually assaulting a female victim under the age of 14 in 2023.

On October 23, 2024, following the conclusion of a three-day jury trial before Superior Court Justice Luis M. Matos, the jury found Steven Porricelli (age 53) guilty of two counts of second-degree child molestation.

The defendant is currently being held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI) pending a sentencing hearing scheduled for January 24, 2025.

“Sexual assault against children forever changes the course of their lives, which have only just begun,” said Attorney General Neronha. “In coming forward and telling her story, this victim demonstrated incredible bravery, even as she dealt with incredible trauma. The more we can help child victims feel safe in coming forward, the more we can successfully prosecute these perpetrators. I am grateful to the Warwick Police Department and my prosecutors for their excellent work on this case.”

During the trial, the State proved beyond a reasonable doubt that on May 19, 2023, the defendant assaulted a female victim under the age of 14, who was known to him, at a home in Warwick.

“Sexual assault cases involving children are among the most difficult cases we investigate,” said Colonel Bradford E. Connor, Warwick Police Chief. “I commend the bravery that this victim displayed throughout this process, thereby ensuring that no more children will suffer at the hands of this defendant. I also want to thank Detective Arico and our partners at the Attorney General’s Office for their hard work on this difficult case.”

Special Assistant Attorneys General Arthur DeFelice and Megan Andrews of the Office of the Attorney General and Detective Adam Arico of the Warwick Police Department led the investigation and prosecution of the case. 

###