Lancaster Man Sentenced for Using the Internet to Entice a Minor

BUFFALO—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Kevin Martis, 23, of Lancaster, New York, who was convicted of enticement of a minor and possession of child pornography, was sentenced to 78 months in prison U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Maura O’Donnell, who handled the case, stated that the defendant used the Internet on two separate occasions to attempt to encourage a 13-year-old and a 15-year-old to engage in sexual activity. Martis initially contacted the minor victims through Facebook. Police were alerted by the parents of the minor victims. Law enforcement also found over 600 images of child pornography on the defendant’s computer, which included images of children under the age of 12.

“This case shows the important role parents can play in keeping their children safe,” said U.S. Attorney Hochul. “Thanks to the involvement of the parents, law enforcement was able to prevent this defendant from seriously harming two children.”

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The sentencing is the result of an investigation by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher M. Piehota; and detectives from the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Police Chief David Zack. The FBI was assisted by the Kenmore, Depew, and Lancaster Police Departments.