In a move signaling the justice system's ongoing battle against child sexual exploitation, U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has handed down a severe sentence to a Texas man for crimes involving minors. Evin Scott Young, a 39-year-old from Texas, will spend 35 years in a federal prison after pleading guilty to production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and the enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Court documents reveal that Young's reprehensible actions included grooming and sexually abusing multiple victims he contacted through social media platforms.
According to information released by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida, the crimes occurred over several months, where Young was able to lure adolescents, ranging in age from 15 to 17, from their homes under the cover of night. He manipulated them to secretly meet him and subsequently took them back to his apartment. It was in this space where the abuse escalated, as Young recorded sexual acts with two of the victims and shockingly invited another adult to participate in the abuse of one of the youths. To perpetuate his abuse and control, Young sent CSAM to one victim, pressuring them to always keep it hidden.
Project Safe Childhood, an initiative of the Department of Justice aimed squarely at countering child exploitation, brought Young's case to the surface. Homeland Security Investigations and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office uncovered the depth of Young’s transgressions and brought him to justice, with Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Milliron leading the prosecution.
