INDIANAPOLIS — A federal judge sentenced a Texas man to more than 23 years in prison after he posed as a 15-year-old boy and sexually exploited a 14-year-old girl.
Marcus Pettus, 37, used Instagram to exploit the girl, convincing her to send explicit photos and videos of herself to him. It started in December 2018 when Pettus began following the girl on Instagram. He then sent her direct messages of photos — selfies of a teenage boy, claiming it was himself.
The girl told Pettus she was a 14-year-old eighth-grader, and he eventually got her to agree to be his girlfriend. He directed her to take explicit photos and videos of herself, using specific details and showing her other explicit photos of women to use as examples. In cases where the girl pushed back, Pettus threatened to harm himself.
Pettus was arrested after the girl and her parents reported him to police.
"This case represents any parent's worst nightmare," said acting U.S. Attorney John E. Childress. "The lengthy prison sentence should send a message that those who seek to prey on children — particularly those who hide behind the anonymity of the internet — will be caught and held accountable to the fullest extent of the law."
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Hamilton County Metro Child Exploitation Task Force investigated the crime.
"The Hamilton County Metro Child Exploitation Task Force is thankful to our federal partners for allowing us to purse those that harm our children, regardless of where they reside," said Fishers Police Detective Lt. David Flynn. "We will continue to work with agencies that help us best protect our children and keep our communities safe."
Pettus will also serve 10 years of supervised release after his 281-month prison sentence. He also must pay $9,000 in restitution to the victim.
"This sentence sends an important message that we will not allow any crime against children to go unpunished and we will continue to work with our law enforcement and prosecuting partners to hold predators accountable for their actions," said R. Sean Fitzgerald the Homeland Security Investigations Chicago.
