Seattle man sentenced for scheme to kidnap children in Vietnam and sexually abuse them

A 38-year-old Seattle man was sentenced for producing child sex abuse imagery in a scheme to get images of sexually abused children from a coconspirator in Vietnam, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington announced earlier this week.

Richard Stanley Maness Jr. will spend 30 years in prison for two federal felonies: conspiracy to produce child sexual abuse material and production of child sexual abuse material.

“In recommending this 30-year prison sentence, our office is doing everything it can to protect innocent children here and overseas. Mr. Maness remains a danger, unable to accept the harm he has done,” U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd said, according to the attorney’s office. “Instead, he insists he is the victim, but the jury and the judge saw through Maness’s fabricated claims of innocence.”

Law enforcement rescued two young children who had been kidnapped off the street in April 2024, according to records filed in the case.

“The mother of the two sisters was distraught when she could not find them,” the news release stated.

The girls were taken to an Airbnb by Maness’ female coconspirator.

Seattle man directed sexual abuse of young children

Messages Maness sent document him directing the sexual abuse of a young child.

“These victims were not candy in a dish for you to take out the one you liked,” U.S. District Judge Richard Jones said at the sentencing hearing, according to the attorney’s office. “In the mind of that 7-year-old, you were a monster directing the pain she suffered.”

Maness was arrested in a Seattle apartment after detectives in Vietnam contacted Homeland Security Investigations.

Along with 30 years behind bars, Maness was sentenced to 20 years of supervised release.

Follow Julia Dallas on X. Read her stories here. Submit news tips here.