Leah B. Foley United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | Department of Justice
A Rehoboth man was arrested and charged on March 16 with allegedly sexually exploiting four minor females between the ages of 12 and 16, according to federal authorities.
The case involves Christopher Mota, age 29, who faces four counts of sexual exploitation of children. Authorities said Mota was taken into custody in Rehoboth and is scheduled to make his initial appearance in federal court in Boston later the same day.
According to the criminal complaint, Mota was stopped during a border search at Boston Logan International Airport on June 5, 2025, as he prepared to board a flight to Aruba. Investigators found an iPhone containing a hidden folder with apparent child sexual abuse material. The device was seized for further examination.
Federal officials said that during a recorded interview, Mota admitted storing child sexual abuse material on his phone and obtaining such material from minors through Snapchat, text messages, and Telegram. He allegedly estimated receiving images or videos from approximately 20 to 25 minor girls and described the volume as "probably hundreds." A preliminary forensic review reportedly revealed sexually explicit communications and exchanges of illegal material with at least four identified minor females known to law enforcement.
If convicted, Mota faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison for each count. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley said valuable assistance came from U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Boston Field Office and the Rehoboth Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm is prosecuting the case.
The prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in 2006 aimed at protecting children from exploitation and abuse by coordinating resources across agencies to locate offenders and rescue victims.
Authorities emphasized that all details contained in the charging document are allegations and that Mota is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
