Police Officer Charged Over Misleading Domain Names

RICHMOND, R.I. — A Richmond police officer has been accused of purchasing several domain names featuring a number of variations of his police chief's name and redirecting those domain to porn sites.

Steven Gravier, according to the Rhode Island State Police, was arrested and turned over to federal authorities for arraignment for violating 18 U.S.C. § 2252B for using misleading domain names on the Internet.

According to an affidavit, Gravier purchased the domain names ElwoodJohnson.com and ElwoodJohnsonjr.com in September and later linked them up to the porn sites.

Rhode Island State Police said several law enforcement agencies, including the State Police Computer Crimes Unit, the U.S. Attorney's Office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, were involved in the probe, which could amount to two years in prison and a monetary fine for Gravier, if convicted.

18 U.S.C. § 2252B is a federal statute that can be applied for perpetrators who create misleading domains that deceive web surfers into viewing material that can be harmful to minors, including content that appeals to a prurient interest of minors; is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community as a whole with respect to what is suitable material for minors; and whose content lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors.

Other details involving Gravier's federal criminal filing are unavailable because a federal judge has sealed the complaint.

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

CamSoda Launches 'Trick or Tease' AI Companions

CamSoda has launched its Halloween-themed Trick or Tease AI companions.

Russian Lawmakers Call for Age Verification

Two Russian lawmakers have called on the country’s government to implement age verification for adult content.

British Documentary Spotlights XBIZ Amsterdam With Candid Conversations

British creator and host Josh Pieters traveled to XBIZ Amsterdam to film a documentary about the annual European adult industry conference.

XBIZ 2026 to Debut 'New Talent Go-See' Special Event

XBIZ 2026, North America’s premier adult industry conference, will debut a special event designed to help new talent jump-start their careers: the New Talent Go-See.

Penthouse Announces Digital Archive Launch

Penthouse Magazine has announced that it will launch a comprehensive digital archive in 2026.

Dreamcam Joins Pineapple Support as Supporter-Level Sponsor

Dreamcam has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

AEBN Publishes Popular Searches by Country for August, September

AEBN has released the list of popular searches from its straight and gay theaters by country in August and September.

AV in Focus: A Guide to Unlocking Compliance With Clarity

The age verification era isn’t coming — it’s here. Laws are already on the books in numerous U.S. states, as well as in the U.K., France and beyond.

Canadian Privacy Commissioner Endorses National AV Bill

Philippe Dufresne, privacy commissioner of Canada, has voiced support for a bill that would impose fines of up to $500,000 on adult sites that do not implement age verification for Canadian viewers.

Ricky Johnson Launches 'Ricky's Resort' Through YourPaysitePartner

Ricky's Room studio honcho Ricky Johnson has launched his latest site, RickysResort.com, through YourPaysitePartner (YPP).

Show More