A Dearborn Heights EMT is facing felony charges after authorities say he spent weeks talking online to what he thought was a 13-year-old, then drove to Highland Township on June 22 to meet the child. Instead, investigators say, the 60-year-old showed up to a citizen-run decoy operation and was taken into custody. He has since been arraigned and pleaded not guilty.
Arraignment and charges
Bradley Kyle Martin, 60, was arraigned June 25 in Novi's 52-1 District Court on one count of using a computer or the internet to communicate with someone for the purpose of committing a crime and one count of accosting a child for immoral purposes, according to ClickOnDetroit. The outlet reports that Martin entered a not-guilty plea and requested a court-appointed attorney.
Judge records cited by the station show he was given a $75,000 cash or surety bond. A probable-cause conference is set for July 8, with a preliminary examination scheduled for July 15.
What the law says
Under Michigan law, accosting, enticing or soliciting a child for immoral purposes is a felony that can carry up to four years in prison or a fine, with related internet-based solicitation offenses addressed in separate sections of the criminal code, according to the Michigan Courts benchbook. The benchbook notes that attempts are covered, so prosecutors do not need to prove the planned sexual act actually occurred in order to support the charge.
How investigators say the sting unfolded
Oakland County investigators told ClickOnDetroit that Martin spent weeks communicating with an account operated by a citizen-led group posing as a young teen, sent sexually explicit photos and then drove to Highland Township on June 22 for what he believed would be a meeting with a 13-year-old. Deputies arrested him at that location.
“Mr. Martin believed that he was communicating with a 13-year-old child,” an Oakland County Sheriff’s deputy said at the arraignment, according to the station. The group involved told the outlet it had also interacted with Martin in December 2023, but Novi police and the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office reviewed that earlier contact and did not file charges at that time.
Where to report and how parents can respond
Child-safety advocates and law enforcement agencies urge parents to keep kids’ devices in shared family spaces, watch who their children are interacting with online and save any suspicious messages instead of deleting them. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s CyberTipline accepts reports of online enticement and related exploitation, and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood coordinates federal and local investigations and offers resources for affected families.
