Key Takeaways
- Father James W. Jackson served at St. Mary’s Church in Providence from August to October 2021 before being arrested on child pornography charges.
- Investigators recovered more than 12,000 images and 1,300 videos depicting child sexual abuse material from Jackson’s devices. He later pleaded guilty in federal court to receipt of child pornography.
- Jackson was sentenced to six years in federal prison, ordered to pay restitution to victims, and was laicized by the Vatican in 2025.
Who Is Father James W. Jackson?
Father James W. Jackson is a former priest who briefly served at St. Mary’s Church in Providence, Rhode Island.
Born on June 3, 1955, Jackson was ordained on May 18, 1985, for the Diocese of Wichita. During his priesthood, he served as a parish priest, teacher, school chaplain, and U.S. Navy chaplain. He also served as a member of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP).
In 1993, Jackson was assigned to St. Gregory’s Academy, an all-boys boarding school in Elmhurst, Pennsylvania, within the Diocese of Scranton. He also served in the Diocese of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and in the Archdiocese of Denver, including as the pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Littleton, Colorado.
According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence, “Bishop Thomas Tobin granted Jackson faculties to serve in the Diocese for a six-year term, effective August 1, 2021, after the North American Provincial of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, Kackson’s Order, attested to Jackson’s good moral character and stated that he was unaware of anything that would limit or disqualify Jackson from ministry or work with children.”
Following Jackson’s October 2021 arrest on child pornography charges, Bishop Tobin revoked his faculties and in November, accepted his resignation from St. Mary’s Church. He was laicized by the Vatican on January 13, 2025.
Jackson is included on the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence, and the Diocese of Providence’s List of Credibly Accused Clergy.
Criminal Investigation of Father James W. Jackson
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Rhode Island, the investigation into Jackson began in September 2021 when a detective assigned to the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force “identified an IP address assigned to the rectory at St. Mary’s Church that was being utilized to share files of child sexual abuse material. A court-authorized search of a computer and digital device located in a church rectory bedroom utilized by Father Jackson was found to contain images and videos of child sexual abuse, including multiple images involving prepubescent females, and some of which involved acts of bestiality and sadomasochism. A forensic audit of the devices subsequently identified over 12,000 images and 1,300 videos of child pornography.”
Jackson was arrested on state child pornography charges October 30, 2021. A federal criminal complaint followed on November 3, 2021, charging him with accessing, distributing, and possessing child pornography.
Additional Child Pornography Investigation in Kansas
According to the AG’s Report, “He was released to the custody of his sister in Kansas while awaiting trial but was later arrested, ordered to return to Rhode Island, and detained pretrial after members of the Kansas ICАС reportedly discovered evidence that Jackson had downloaded child pornography there.”
Investigators reported finding “evidence that numerous files with names indicative of child sexual abuse material had been deleted.” (Justice.gov)
Jackson was returned to Rhode Island and detained pending trial.
Guilty Plea and Sentencing
On June 8, 2023, Jackson pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of receipt of child pornography.
On December 13, 2023, U.S. District Judge William E. Smith sentenced Jackson to:
- Six years (72 months) in federal prison
- Five years of federal supervised release
- Restitution to victims of child pornography and trafficking
According to federal prosecutors, investigators identified 190 victims depicted in the child sexual abuse material recovered from Jackson’s devices.
Federal prosecutors wrote, “The victims in this case are real children who were raped and molested in order to provide sexual gratification for the defendant. By repeatedly downloading and viewing child sexual abuse material for his own gratification, this defendant engaged in repeated acts of dehumanization which re-victimized the children.’” (The Pillar)
Diocese of Providence’s Response
The day after Jackson’s arrest, Bishop Thomas Tobin revoked Jackson’s faculties, prohibited him from “residing at the rectory or exercising public ministry,” and later accepted his resignation from St. Mary’s Church.
According to the AG’s report, Jackson was added to the Diocese of Providence’s “List of Credibly Accused Clergy in 2022 following his arrest. The Vatican laicized Jackson on January 13, 2025.” Jackson remains incarcerated in federal prison as of the publication of the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report.
Readers seeking additional information regarding Father James W. Jackson should review Appendix A of the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence, federal court records, and the sources compiled by Bishop Accountability.
Andreozzi and Foote Represents Survivors
Whether the abuse involved the production or distribution of child sexual abuse material or was committed by a trusted member of the clergy, survivors deserve to be heard, supported, and informed of their legal rights.
At Andreozzi + Foote, we represent survivors of clergy sexual abuse and other forms of child sexual abuse nationwide. Our attorneys take a trauma-informed approach to every case and are committed to helping survivors seek justice, accountability, and healing.
If you are a survivor of of sexual abuse, we encourage you to contact us for a free, confidential consultation to discuss your legal options.
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Image sources: Fr. Jackson, via National Catholic Register. Fr. Jackson, via Clarim.
