Canadian man arrested for child porn

By JIM LAWRENCE
For the Stafford County Sun
Published: May 14, 2008

STAFFORD — Richard John Doucet, of LaSalle, Quebec, Canada, has been charged with one count of attempted indecent liberties, one count of the use of an electronic communications device to solicit a juvenile and two counts of distribution of child pornography, reported the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office in a press release Monday.

The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Fredericksburg and Dumfries police departments and the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office.

“Detective John Chapman of the Dumfries Police Department, portraying a 13-year-old boy, had been corresponding with Doucet over an internet chat line; Doucet had talked about masturbating the 13-year-old boy that Chapman was portraying and having the 13-year-old-boy masturbate him. In addition, Doucet had transmitted to the 13-year-old numerous child pornography pictures of pre-pubescent boys,” reads the release.

Doucet, 36, had arranged a meeting in Fredericksburg on May 9 to meet the boy. Doucet had attended an education conference in Atlanta and flew to Reagan National Airport the day before, according to the sheriff’s office.

He arrived in Fredericksburg on May 8 and checked into the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel in town. He contacted what he thought to be the 13-year-old boy and told him he was in town.

Fredericksburg police staked out the hotel and as Doucet was leaving it to go to dinner he was arrested.

His computer was seized for possible additional information.

Numerous chat sessions originated from Stafford County, thus initial charges were made in that jurisdiction. Any charges made as a result of information gleaned from the computer will be made in Fredericksburg.

Doucet has been incarcerated in the Rappahannock Regional Jail under no bond.

Jim Lawrence is a contributing writer at the Stafford County Sun. Reach him at .