Carmel man convicted of sexually exploiting teen • Current Publishing

A Carmel man was sentenced to nearly 23 years in prison, followed by 20 years of probation, after pleading guilty to distributing graphic depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and possessing child sexual abuse material.

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, Carmel Police Department officers received a report of sexual exploitation of an underage male victim in late 2022. The report revealed that Martin asked a 15-year-old boy to meet in person after being introduced through the online dating app Grindr. Martin continued conversations with the teen through Instagram and Snapchat, initially lying about his identity and age to manipulate the victim.

Over the course of three weeks, Martin met with the teenager on multiple occasions at his Carmel residence and other public locations to have sexual intercourse. Martin also engaged in sexual conduct, such as purchasing clothing and dinner for the victim and buying the child a birthday cake when she turned 16.

A search of Martin’s cell phone revealed several live, sexually explicit photos of the victim that he had taken, as well as additional images showing the two together at local restaurants and public gathering places in Carmel.

“Martin sexually abused and exploited a 15-year-old boy after gaining his admiration and trust online. Exploiting vulnerable teenagers for sexual purposes is a despicable crime that deserves a lengthy prison sentence,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana.

The FBI and Carmel Police Department investigated the case. U.S. District Judge James P. Hanlon imposed the sentence.