Stephen Mantha, Child Sexual Exploitation, Boston MA, 1998

BOSTON — Stephen Mantha, 62, of Spencer, Massachusetts, is back behind bars, accused of sexually exploiting a child in the late 1990s — a crime that resurfaced through a digital trail tied to his job at the U.S. Postal Service. The re-arrest, confirmed today by federal prosecutors, centers on a video discovered during a forensic examination of devices seized in 2016 — footage showing Mantha allegedly assaulting a boy approximately seven years old.

Mantha, an electronic technician at the Shrewsbury processing and distribution center, was first arrested on September 21, 2016, on charges of possession of child pornography and accessing child pornography with intent to view. He was released to home detention days later, but the investigation never stopped. Authorities say suspicious internet searches conducted on a USPS computer in the summer of 2015 first raised red flags, ultimately leading to a search of his home and the seizure of dozens of digital storage devices, including over a dozen thumb drives.

While initial forensic review uncovered child pornography on three thumb drives, a deeper analysis in the months that followed unearthed far worse: a video of Mantha sexually assaulting a minor. The victim, now an adult, was located and interviewed by federal agents. He confirmed the abuse depicted in the video, according to court documents filed in the case.

Mantha now faces a new charge of sexual exploitation of a child, a crime that carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, up to 20 years, a $250,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release. Though federal sentences often fall below the maximum, the evidence in this case — especially the direct identification of the victim — suggests a severe penalty could be imposed if Mantha is convicted.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Grady of the Worcester Branch Office. The announcement was made jointly by top law enforcement officials, including U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz, Postal Inspector General Eileen Neff, FBI Boston’s Harold H. Shaw, Homeland Security Investigations’ Matthew Etre, Massachusetts State Police Colonel Richard D. McKeon, and local police chiefs from Spencer and Shrewsbury.

The investigation is part of Project Safe Childhood, a DOJ-led initiative launched in 2006 to combat child exploitation through coordinated federal, state, and local efforts. All evidence remains part of the criminal complaint, and Mantha is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in federal court.