CHARLESTON, S.C. — Hector Ivan Martinez, 20, from Springfield, Massachusetts, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting 10- and 11-year-old minors from Charleston. He will also face lifetime court-ordered supervision and is required to pay restitution to the victims.
Case Overview
Martinez pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of children. Evidence presented in court showed that in the summer of 2024, he targeted minors on social media while posing as a 15-year-old boy. He engaged the children in sexually explicit conversations, sent videos and images of himself, and manipulated them into producing sexually explicit content.
Scope of Offenses
A review of Martinez’s electronic devices revealed he targeted at least 45 victims across the United States. Investigators also found that he used an encrypted application to contact an individual in the Philippines to solicit livestreamed child sexual abuse, which he then recorded and saved.
Sentencing
United States District Judge Richard Gergel sentenced Martinez to 20 years in federal prison. Upon release, Martinez will be subject to lifetime supervision and ordered to pay restitution to his victims.
