PORTLAND, Maine — A local man accused of photographing boys in public bathrooms agreed Tuesday in U.S. District Court to be held without bail pending the outcome of his case.
Anthony T. Thea, 20, of Portland was arrested Thursday in Falmouth and charged with receipt or distribution of child pronography via an instrument of interstate commerce.
He has been held without bail since his arrest.
Thea was not asked to enter a plea Tuesday when he appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge John H. Rich III because he has not been indicted by a federal grand jury.
The investigation into Thea began in August when a special agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations working undercover traced child pornography shared on the Internet to an IP address at a Main Street apartment, according to the complaint.
On Oct. 9, a search warrant was executed at the apartment, the complaint said. The people at the apartment told investigators that Thea had been staying there but was not there at that time. He was located in Falmouth later that day and questioned, but he was not arrested until Thursday.
Thea allegedly admitted to recording and sharing videos of boys urinating in public bathrooms, including his high school.
If convicted, he faces between five and 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.