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Name:
Mantooth, Christopher James
Date of Booking:
03/13/2025
Reason(s) For Booking:
CRUELTY TO CHILDREN-DEPRIVATION OF NECESSARY SUSTENANCE – 1ST DEGREE
Officer’s Narrative:
[Please note: The following is a direct transcription from the official initial incident report. The Georgia Gazette does not fix any spelling or grammatical errors that may exist. Any changes or redactions made by our staff are placed inside brackets. Some errors may exist. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The topics discussed may be sensitive to some readers. Discretion is advised.]
On 3/13/2025, I responded, along with building inspector Charles Price, to the address of [100 BLOCK] Smith Rd in reference a concern from Coosa school social worker, [WITNESS #1]. The concern was for the living condition within the residence as a 6 year old child, [VICTIM #1] lives inside. [VICTIM #1] lives with her parents, Christopher and Jessica Mantooth and 18yr old brother [WITNESS #2]. According to the school, [VICTIM #1] gets sick often with worms and head lice. [WITNESS #1] was also concerned about the family not having enough food in the home and was present at the home when we arrived. [WITNESS #1] provided a box of different foods and other snacks, placed it on the porch and left.
I was able to make contact with C. Mantooth first and explained the reason for my visit. I advised there was concern from the school that the home might not be a healthy place for [VICTIM #1] since she’s been out of school several times for the head lice and worms. I requested he allow me to walk through the home to make an assessment. C. Mantooth went inside to get his wife J. Mantooth for me to explain the situation. Price also spoke with them about the condition of the home in regards to stability, maintenance and safety. The parents advised me that DFCS had come out about a month earlier but nothing else happened. I advised I have nothing to do with DFCS at this time and am not acting on their behalf. The parent allowed me to come inside after telling me that it was a mess.
Upon entry to the home, I could see a fireplace directly in front of me, the kitchen to the left and living room to the right. The floors were unstable in areas all through the house as they were in the kitchen. The floors were grimy, there were full, open and overflowing trash bags on the floor drawing gnats and roaches, grocery bags of trash hanging from cabinet pulls with trash inside, trash on the floor, dirty and grimy counter tops completely covered with opened and closed boxes of food, insect spray, cleaning bottles covered in an unknown brown substance and other food and debris, unsure how old. The stove had dirty pans with old food residue on them. To the left of the stove was a cart with food and dirty dishes on it and trash underneath. The floors were almost black in this area, with pieces of the par-kay flooring broken up and detached from the sub-floor appearing that it is due to mold and grimy substances. There was an overflowing trash can in the corner between the food cart and the cabinets, which had some sort of dirty brown substance dripping and smeared on it.
In the floor next to the trash can was a crock pot almost completely filled with something unknown to it’s original state. It would appear that there may have been a meal that had been cooked in it at some point in the past and left on the floor; It appeared to have a thick layer of mold and other things growing in it and on it. The walls within the kitchen and hallway leading to a bathroom, bedroom and outside door had a brown substance covering it as well. The first room on the right, just outside the kitchen was the bathroom that I had been advised has been out of order for the entire time the family has lived there, which I was told was five years. C. Mantooth advised me that he has told his adult son, [WITNESS #2], not o use it, but he thinks he still does on occasion. I opened the door and was greeted with strong odor of feces. The vanity sink was dark brown, but from the looks of it, I wasn’t sure if it was naturally brown or from something else.
The bathroom is allegedly unused, but there were toothbrushes, dental picks, a bottle of mousse, a hairbrush, comb an electric hair tool on the sink, all of which appeared to be used recently. Again, the walls and cabinets were the same as in the kitchen and remainder of the home. The floors were dirty and there was a broken cabinet door exposing a hole in the structure of the house so that you could see outside into the front yard. The tub/shower was dirty as well. The toilet bowl was filled with feces that appeared it had been there long enough to take on a different consistency. The whole inside of the bowl was covered completely with dried on feces, the toilet seat was covered in a brown substance I can only imagine is dirt and feces. There was a small trash can next to the toilet full of what appeared to be old and recently used toilet paper.
[WITNESS #2] (teenager) has his own room, which I observed to be quite clean and tidy. The parents share a bedroom with [VICTIM #1], however [VICTIM #1] does have her own bed. Their bedroom contained numerous full and overflowing, trash filled bags in multiple areas of the room. There was trash and debris all over the floor and underneath [VICTIM #1]’s bed. There were hand fulls of old dip cans laying around, on the floor and on furniture along with full spit cups. [VICTIM #1] was present and asleep when we arrived, but woke up soon after. I requested, via radio, for Pfc. Shelly to assist me at this residence. I stepped outside to contact DFCS and notify them of the conditions and that the parents would be going to jail for Cruelty to Children. During my conversations with the parents, they could never really provide a valid reason why they allowed their family to live in these conditions and had a nonchalant demeanor about the situation.
I was able to talk via phone with the teenage son, who was en route to school, in regards to the situation. He advised me that he’s tired of living in the conditions and is about to move out, but didn’t want his sister to be left there. I asked if the conditions were always like that, he said. I asked were there times over the years that it would get cleaned and would he ever help them, he advised me yes, but then it would go back to the way it is. I advised that there’s no lack of food in the home so it appears there is no issue with getting fed, he said yes, but his parents would wait until 10pm to even start cooking and then just leave it. I asked him if either parent has any depression going on or other issues that might lead to them living like this, to which he responded with no.
DFCS sent their caseworker who contact C. Mantooth’s grandmother, [REDACTED] to take [VICTIM #1] per safety plan. As soon as DFCS arrived, I explained to the parents that they would be going to jail and [VICTIM #1] would be staying with [REDACTED] for the time being. DFCS explained their part in this process. I waited until the child and great-grandmother left then Pfc. Shelly and I placed both parents in handcuffs. I completed a pat down of J. Mantooth and placed her in the backseat of Pfc. Shelly’s patrol vehicle for transport.
[End of Narrative]
The information below reflects all details available at the time of publication and was obtained directly from the official court database accessible to the public. Court records are subject to change at any time at the court’s discretion. The Georgia Gazette is not responsible for errors, omissions, or discrepancies within the docket. No information provided should be construed as legal advice or opinion. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Case History:
There is a listed co-defendant in this case. Please see Jessica Mantooth for additional information.
02/13/26
INDICTMENT FILED AGAINST CHRISTOPHER JAMES MANTOOTH
What this means: A Floyd County grand jury formally charged Christopher James Mantooth and Jessica Marie Mantooth with two felony counts of cruelty to children. Count 1 alleges first-degree cruelty to children, and Count 2 alleges second-degree cruelty to children, both related to the alleged mistreatment of a child around March 13, 2025. The indictment accuses them of failing to provide a safe and healthy environment, resulting in the child living in filthy conditions with multiple open bags of garbage, leftover and moldy food, insect infestation, a non-working toilet filled with feces, and other unsanitary conditions. The case has been assigned to Judge Bryan Thomas Johnson in Floyd County Superior Court.
02/13/26
CHRISTOPHER JAMES MANTOOTH RELEASED ON $7,900 PROPERTY BOND
What this means: Christopher James Mantooth was allowed to post bond and be released from jail while his case proceeds. Magistrate Judge Lorie Hughes set his bond at $7,900, secured by property owned. As conditions of his release, Mantooth must stay away from the alleged victim except for supervised contact through the Department of Family and Children Services. If he violates his bond conditions, his bond can be revoked, and he can be arrested again.
02/24/26
NOTICE OF ARRAIGNMENT ISSUED FOR CHRISTOPHER JAMES MANTOOTH
What this means: The Floyd County Superior Court scheduled Christopher James Mantooth’s arraignment hearing for March 20, 2026, at 10:30 AM in Courtroom D. An arraignment is where the defendant appears before the judge to formally hear the charges against him and enter a plea of guilty, not guilty, or no contest. The notice warns that if Mantooth fails to appear, he will be subject to having an arrest order issued against him.
03/20/26
ARRAIGNMENT HEARING SCHEDULED FOR CHRISTOPHER JAMES MANTOOTH
What this means: Christopher James Mantooth is scheduled to appear in Floyd County Superior Court at 10:30 AM for his arraignment on the cruelty to children charges. At this hearing, he will formally hear the indictment read and will be asked to enter his plea to the two felony counts. This is a required step in the criminal process before the case can move forward to trial or plea negotiations.
03/26/26
PUBLIC DEFENDER RAD BUNKER APPOINTED TO REPRESENT CHRISTOPHER JAMES MANTOOTH
What this means: The Floyd County Superior Court appointed attorney Rad Bunker from the Office of the Public Defender for the Rome Judicial Circuit to represent Christopher James Mantooth in case 26CR00272A-003. This happened because Mantooth was found to be indigent under Georgia law, meaning he cannot afford to hire his own attorney. Public defenders provide legal representation at no cost to defendants who qualify financially.
03/26/26
DEFENSE FILES DEMAND FOR DISCOVERY IN CHRISTOPHER JAMES MANTOOTH CASE
What this means: Christopher James Mantooth’s attorney Rad Bunker filed a formal request with the Floyd County Superior Court demanding that prosecutors turn over evidence in the case. The demand requests 11 categories of evidence including witness lists, grand jury testimony records, any exculpatory evidence favorable to the defense, evidence of plea agreements, victim impact evidence, materials used to refresh witness memory, evidence of similar transactions, evidence of violence by the alleged victim, handwriting samples, informant information, and examination reports about alleged family violence. This is a standard legal step where the defense seeks access to the prosecution’s evidence to prepare for trial.
06/10/26
JURY TRIAL SCHEDULED FOR CHRISTOPHER JAMES MANTOOTH AT 1:30 PM
What this means: Christopher James Mantooth’s case has been placed on the trial calendar in Floyd County Superior Court for June 10, 2026 at 1:30 PM. This appears to be a calendar call, which is a court proceeding where cases are scheduled and the judge confirms trial dates with both parties. If the case proceeds to trial as scheduled, a jury will hear evidence about the cruelty to children charges against Mantooth and decide whether he is guilty or not guilty.
6/10/26
CHRISTOPHER JAMES MANTOOTH PLEADS GUILTY TO LESSER CHARGE — COUNT 1 DISMISSED, 12 MONTHS PROBATION IMPOSED
What this means: On June 10, 2026, Christopher James Mantooth appeared in Floyd County Superior Court in Criminal Action No. 26CR00272A-3 and entered a negotiated guilty plea to a lesser charge. The original Count 1 — Cruelty to Children in the First Degree under O.C.G.A. 16-5-70 — was dismissed through a nolle prosequi, meaning the prosecution chose not to move forward on that charge. Instead, Mantooth pleaded guilty to Count 2, Cruelty to Children in the Second Degree (O.C.G.A. 16-5-70(c)), which was reduced further to Reckless Conduct under O.C.G.A. 16-5-60(b), a misdemeanor. The court sentenced Mantooth to 12 months to be served entirely on probation, with no time ordered in confinement.