Greenwich Camp Counselor, 18, Charged with Sexual Exploitation Of Minor

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Diego Rodriguez, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced on Tuesday, June 28 the arrest of Michael Bryant Marin of Port Chester.

Marin is charged with communicating with an underage victim online and convincing her to take and send sexually explicit photographs and videos to Marin online.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said, “Michael Marin’s alleged crimes are the nightmare of every parent.  Using an easily accessible instant messaging application, Marin allegedly terrorized a middle-school student in her home and her school with threats to humiliate her if she refused his demands for sexually explicit photographs and videos.  We will continue to do everything we can, with our partners at the FBI, to investigate and prosecute those who sexually exploit children.”

“Most teenagers are excited about summer and vacation, but as alleged, the victim in this case, and others we may not know about yet, are overcoming an atrocious ordeal no young child should ever have to experience,” said FBI Assistant Director Diego Rodriguez. “Parents need to talk with their children about being safe online, and making sure they know the minute anyone approaches them in a deviant way, they should immediately contact a trusted adult.  We are also asking anyone who may have been contacted by the subject in this case to contact the FBI.”

According to the Complaint[1] unsealed on Tuesay in White Plains federal court, In or about March 2016, Marin communicated online via Kik and through text messages with a 13-year-old minor female (“Victim-1”) in New Mexico, and convinced Victim-1 to take and send sexually explicit photographs and videos of herself to Marin.

During his communications with Victim-1, Marin utilized the screen name “mike___2016,” as well as another account associated with the phone number 914-920-1974.

Further, while communicating with Victim-1, Marin posed as a minor and threatened Victim-1 that if she did not send additional photos and/or videos, he would publicly post the photos and/or videos she had already sent to Marin on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Marin also demanded that Victim-1 act as his “slave,” first attempting to pay Victim-1 and then threatening to post nude photos and videos of Victim-1 if she did not send him the specific photos and/or videos Marin requested whenever he requested them.  As part of this demand, Marin instructed Victim-1 to photograph and film herself engaging in a number of sexually explicit acts, including bestiality with a pet cat and taking nude photos of herself in her school bathroom.

According to statements made during Marin’s presentment Tuesday afternoon, Marin is currently employed as a camp counselor in Greenwich, Connecticut.

There may be more victims of this alleged conduct.  If you have information to report, contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s White Plains Resident Agency at 914-989-6000.

Marin, 18, of Port Chester, New York, is charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, which carries a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.  The statutory maximum sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Bharara praised the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Santa Fe County Sherriff’s Office, and the Santa Fe City Police Department in connection with this investigation.  He added that the investigation is ongoing.

The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division.  Assistant United States Attorney Maurene Comey is in charge of the prosecution.