Carmel man convicted of sexual exploitation of teenager

A Carmel man was sentenced to nearly 23 years in prison followed by 20 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to distributing visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct and possessing sexual abuse material on children.

Thomas Cade Martin, 27, also admitted to sexually exploiting a minor victim in Carmel. He was ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution and must register as a sex offender.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, in late 2022, Carmel Police officers received a report of sexual exploitation of a minor male victim. The report reveals that Martin asked a 15-year-old man to meet in person after being introduced through Grindr, an online dating app. Martin continued his conversations with the teen via Instagram and Snapchat, initially lying about his identity and age to groom the victim.

Over the course of three weeks, Martin met the teen several times at his Carmel apartment and other public places to have sex. Martin also engaged in grooming behaviors, such as buying clothes and dinners for the victim and buying the child a birthday cake when she turned 16.

A search of Martin's cell phone uncovered several sexually explicit live photos produced by Martin of the victim, as well as other images taken of the two together at local restaurants and public meeting places in Carmel.

“Martin sexually abused and exploited a 15-year-old boy, after gaining his adoration and trust online. Taking advantage of vulnerable adolescents for sexual purposes is a despicable crime that deserves significant prison time,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana.

The FBI and Carmel police investigated the case. Judge James P. Hanlon of the United States District Court imposed the sentence.