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27-year-old Carmel man sentenced after grooming, sexually exploiting teenager

Thomas Cade Martin pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation and possession of child sex abuse material.

CARMEL, Ind. — A Carmel man was sentenced to more than 22 years in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation and possession of child sex abuse material.

According to court documents, Carmel police officers received a report of sexual exploitation of a 15-year-old male victim in 2022.

Investigators learned 27-year-old Thomas Cade Martin, of Carmel, asked the victim to meet in-person after meeting through Grindr, an online dating app.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Indiana said Martin lied about his identity and age in order to groom the victim as they continued to chat through Instagram and Snapchat.

Over three weeks, Martin met the victim in-person multiple times at his Carmel apartment or other public locations to have sex.

Court documents say Martin also bought clothes and dinners for the victim – including a birthday cake when the victim turned 16 years old – all in an effort to groom him.

Investigators found multiple sexually explicit "live photos" of the victim on Martin's phone, as well as other images taken of the two together at local restaurants and out in public.

"Martin sexually abused and exploited a 15-year-old boy, having gained his adoration and trust online. Taking advantage of vulnerable teens for sexual gain is a despicable crime that merits significant prison time," U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana Zachary A. Myers said. "The sentence imposed today should serve as a warning to would-be groomers and offenders: if you solicit and exploit minors for sex, you will spend many years in federal prison."

Following his guilty plea, Martin was sentenced to 275 months in federal prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release. Martin must also pay $10,000 in restitution and register as a sex offender where he lives, works or goes to school.

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