Carmel Man Gets 22 Years for Sexually Exploiting Teen

INDIANAPOLIS – Thomas Cade Martin, 27, of Carmel, Indiana, has been sentenced to 275 months in federal prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to distribution of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and possession of child sexual abuse material.

Martin, a resident of Carmel, was also ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution and must register as a sex offender wherever he lives, works, or goes to school. The harsh sentence was handed down by U.S. District Court Judge James P. Hanlon.

According to court documents, in late 2022, Carmel Police Department officers received a report of sexual exploitation of a male minor victim. The report found that Thomas Martin asked Minor Victim 1, a 15-year-old male, to meet in-person after being introduced through Grindr, an online dating application.

Over the course of three weeks, Martin met MV1 in-person on multiple occasions at his Carmel apartment and other public locations to engage in sexual intercourse. Martin also engaged in grooming behaviors, such as purchasing clothes and dinners for MVI, and even buying the child a birthday cake when he turned 16 years old.

A search of Martin’s cellphone recovered multiple 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 spots in Carmel.

“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,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.