Joliet Man Sentenced to 384 Months in Prison for Enticement of a Minor and Committing a Felony Sex Offense While a Registered Sex Offender

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. - A Joliet, Illinois, man, Martin T. Marling, 41, was sentenced on May 12, 2026, to 384 months' imprisonment, followed by a life term of supervised release, following his guilty pleas to enticing a minor and committing a felony sex offense while a registered sex offender. The court also imposed a $10,000 special assessment fee.

At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Sara Darrow considered evidence of the incredibly serious nature of Marling's conduct. In spring 2025, Marling engaged in sexually explicit conversations with a child he met online and arranged for the child to travel to his home in the middle of the night for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity. The child was recovered unharmed before arriving at Marling's home. At the time this incident occurred, Marling was on probation in the State of Illinois for a sex offense and was required to register as a sex offender. In pronouncing the sentence, the judge stated that this type of behavior causes real harm to victims and their families and that it is punished severely under the law.

Marling was arrested in Will County, Illinois, in April 2025 in connection with a federal complaint and was detained following an initial appearance. He has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest. He was indicted in May 2025 and pleaded guilty in November 2025.

"The U.S. Attorney's Office in collaboration with our law enforcement partners once again removed a dangerous predator from the community." said Acting U.S. Attorney Gregory M. Gilmore. "We will continue to hold any individuals who threaten our children accountable and prosecute them to the fullest."

"Thirty-two years in a federal prison is exactly what a repeat predator deserves," said FBI Springfield Field Office's Special Agent in Charge, Ryan Presley. "Our agents and law enforcement partners do not wait around for tragedy to happen. Once notified, our team tracked this threat, moved aggressively, and secured an arrest before this man could meet with any children. We took a dangerous offender completely off the streets, and we will do the exact same thing to anyone else who attempts to target our children."

The statutory penalties for enticement of a minor are at least ten years up to life imprisonment, at least five years and up to a life term of supervised release, a fine up to $250,000, and a special assessment of $5,000. The statutory penalties for committing a felony sex offense while a registered sex offender are ten years imprisonment consecutive to the sentence on the underlying felony sex offense conviction, at least five years and up to a life term of supervised release, a fine up to $250,000, and a special assessment of $5,000.

The charges are the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, and the Galesburg Police Department with assistance from the Will County Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda W. Searle and Jennifer L. Mathew represented the government in the prosecution.

This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. 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 https://www.projectsafechildhood.govLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link..