Marlborough man pleads guilty to child pornography charges; faces June sentencing

BOSTON — A Marlborough man faces decades in federal prison after pleading guilty in U.S. District Court to child pornography charges.

Larry Stephen, 46, made his guilty plea on March 26 to one count each of distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography.

Each count is punishable by five to 20 years in prison, lifetime supervision and a $250,000 fine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 26.

Federal authorities arrested Stephen at his Crosby Street home on July 18, 2023.

According to court documents, the federal Department of Homeland Security began an investigation began in May 2023 in Virginia after a person using the screen name “Mango” was using an unnamed social media platform to distribute child pornography featuring children as young as 2.

Earlier: ASL college professor from Marlborough faces child pornography charges

Undercover agent communicated with suspect online

According to authorities, an undercover agent began speaking to Stephen online, who said he was interested in children as young as 2. He sent several videos of children engaged in sex, as well as a photo of himself. He told the undercover agent he lived in Massachusetts but was an American Sign Language professor during the fall and spring.

Stephen, at the time of his arrest, was coordinator for the ASL program at Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland.

Authorities identified Stephen through his email provider, and police served a search warrant on his home. Stephen admitted to using the social media platform but denied being involved in child pornography. He said he joined a group on the platform, but when he saw the content being posted, he left the group.

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When authorities found evidence on his phone, Stephen said “he could explain,” but still denied distributing child pornography.

The case was investigated as part of Project Safe Childhood, a federal initiative that targets child sexual exploitation led by the Department of Justice.

Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For up-to-date public safety news, follow him on X @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Marlborough man pleads guilty to child porn, will be sentenced in June