Pawtucket coach arrested for child porn, but police still have no proof

PAWTUCKET - Police last week arrested David Vecchiarino, a wrestling and football coach at Tolman High School, after receiving a warrant to search his phone and finding "several videos and images that featured what appeared to be males under the age of 18 performing sexual acts."

Maj. Arthur Martins said Monday morning that police still have no proof that any Tolman High School students or anyone younger than 18 participated in the sexual acts depicted in the videos.

As first reported by The Breeze, Vecchiarino turned himself in last Friday after police issued a warrant on five counts of possession of child pornography.

Vecchiarino was held overnight and arraigned before a bail commissioner on Saturday. Bail was set at $5,000 with surety.

According to two school officials, Vecchiarino was caught after mistakenly sending a pornographic file to a 24-year-old woman in Cumberland.

School administrators confirmed that Vecchiarino, the school's head wrestling coach and assistant football coach, was fired last Tuesday after the Cumberland woman came forward and showed them the file.

"The Pawtucket School Department learned this week of possible inappropriate conduct by a part-time athletic coach," said Supt. Patti DiCenso in a statement. "Immediately upon notification, the School Department terminated this individual. This is an ongoing police investigation, and the School Department is fully cooperating with the police."

DiCenso said school administratorss met with police most recently on Thursday afternoon.

"No pictures were revealed of our students at that time that were of an inappropriate nature," she said.

DiCenso told The Breeze Friday evening that a report earlier in the day by ABC 6 that some of the boys performing sexual acts on the videos "are believed to be members of the wrestling team" was "completely inaccurate" and a "complete fabrication." If police had that information, she said around 8:45 p.m., she would still be in school dealing with the impact of the revelation.

Vecchiarino started with the district as a volunteer assistant football coach back in 2004. He was hired as wrestling coach in 2008.

Tolman Principal Chris Savastano deferred comment on the situation to DiCenso.

Anyone with information about the investigation is asked to call the Pawtucket Police Department at 401-727-9100 and ask for either Det. Donti Rosciti, ext. 737, or Det. David Silva, ext. 760.