Collinsville Man Sentenced to Nearly 20 Years in Prison for Production of Child Pornography
Man Had Engaged in and Photographed Sex Acts with Minors

A Collinsville, Illinois man was sentenced on November 4, 2013, on a charge of production of child pornography, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. Martin L. Evanick, a/k/a "Vlad," 32, was sentenced to a term in prison of 235 months, to be followed by 20 years’ supervised release, fined $2,000, and ordered to pay a special assessment of $100. In addition, upon his release from prison, Evanick must register as a sex offender as a condition of his supervised release. Evanick has been detained, that is, held without bond, since his arraignment on October 19, 2012.

“Protecting our children from predators who would steal their very childhood is my highest priority,” said United States Attorney Wigginton. “Like all of us, I am utterly repulsed by such crimes. It is my fervent hope that sentences like this one would deter any person bent on exploiting children.”

The investigation began in April, 2012, when the victim’s (“TM”) mother contacted the Collinsville Police Department regarding a possible sexual assault on her 16-year-old minor daughter by a 30-year-old man. That man was later identified as Evanick. TM divulged that Evanick had also taken nude pictures of her using his cellular telephone. The investigation revealed that, from approximately March 1 until April 21, 2012, TM stayed with a friend who lived near Evanick. TM and her friend would often visit Evanick at his house.

In a videotaped interview, TM said that, in March and April 2012, she and Evanick had sex five to six times and that each sexual encounter occurred at Evanick’s residence. TM said that Evanick warned her not to tell anyone, including her friend. TM stated that, in April 2012, Evanick took pictures of them engaged in oral sex and also took nude pictures of her that exposed her naked genitalia. TM was 17 at the time the photographs were taken. Evanick was 30 years old.

In his first interview, Evanick denied ever having sexual intercourse with TM and insisted that no nude photographs of TM would be on his cellular phone. A subsequent review of the contents of Evanick’s cellular telephone revealed four photographs that involved TM, all of which were pornographic. Two of the photos showed TM and Evanick engaged in a sexual act, while the other two photos were close-up pictures of TM’s genitalia. The four photographs were later shown to TM who identified herself and Evanick in the photographs.

In a second interview with FBI agents, Evanick admitted that he had a sexual relationship with TM that began in approximately mid-March 2012 and that he knew she was 17 years old at the time. He said that the two had sex five to seven times, always at his house.

Additional evidence introduced at sentencing revealed that another female minor, after learning of Evanick’s arrest on the news, came forward to report that Evanick had sex with her when she was 14 years old. This girl, who also submitted a written victim impact statement, spoke at the sentencing hearing and revealed that, after she reported the incident in November 2012, she tried to commit suicide, was diagnosed with PTSD, and had to move in with her parents because she was afraid to live alone because she had forced herself to forget the molestation that occurred shortly after her 14th birthday.

The victim in the charged offense, TM, and her mother also provided victim impact statements to the court, as well as oral statements regarding the effects of Evanick’s actions on both of them. TM told the court that she had trouble sleeping, as well as other difficulties that she has experienced as a result of the charged offense.

Evidence introduced at sentencing also revealed that Evanick targeted both of the victims while they were vulnerable and asked them if they were virgins before engaging in sexual contact with them.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "Resources."

The case was investigated by the Collinsville, Illinois Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Springfield Child Exploitation Task Force. The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Angela Scott.