By DONNA KENNY KIRWAN

PAWTUCKET — A federal grand jury has indicted Jose Hilario of Mary Street, Pawtucket, on charges of possessing child pornography, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The case was charged as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative against child sexual exploitation.

U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente and Warren T. Bamford, Special Agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced the indictment, which the grand jury returned on May 14 in U.S. District Court, Providence.
The indictment alleges that, between September 2007 and April 4, 2008, Hilario possessed visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The 28-year-old Hilario pleaded not guilty on May 19 before Magistrate Judge David L. Martin, who ordered him detained.
If convicted, Hilario could face a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine, according to the press release.
The FBI investigated the allegations and Assistant U.S. Attorney Terrence P. Donnelly is prosecuting the case.