(Brookville, IN) – A Brookville man has been sentenced to five years in the Indiana Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to Child Solicitation (Level 5 felony).
Thirty-six-year-old Robert Marshall was arrested following an investigation by the Brookville Police Department, which alleged that he “urged, incited, requested, or lured the victim” – a 13-year-old girl – to engage in sexual conduct, according to court documents.
Franklin County Prosecutor Chris Huerkamp says investigating officer Matthew Bennett was alerted to the possibility of inappropriate communications in early July by Marshall’s landlord.
During the investigation, the officer spoke with Marshall and his alleged victim, who described that the communication started as a Facebook friend request and went from messages about life to explicit sexual conversations, including offers to provide the victim with nicotine in exchange for sex acts and threats of physical abuse if she refused.
Court documents indicate the victim reported that nude images were sent to Marshall and he responded in kind. And although there had been plans for the victim to meet with Marshall in-person, it never happened. However, most of the records of the communication described by the victim had been already been deleted from the victim’s phone.
After following up with some additional investigative leads, Officer Bennett obtained a search warrant for Marshall’s phone on July 10. The item was then delivered to Dearborn County’s High Tech Crime Unit for a forensic examination and it was returned to the investigator on July 28.
Upon his review of the data extracted from Marshall’s phone, Bennett was able to corroborate much of what was reported to him by the victim, including discussions of sexual favors in
return for nicotine and additional sexually-oriented messages.
Marshall was arrested on July 29 and pled guilty at his initial hearing on August 3.
Franklin Circuit Judge Alex Dudley sentenced Marshall to five years in prison on August 25, citing significant aggravating factors, including harm to the girl and a breach of trust.
In addition to the prison sentence, Marshall was ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years upon his release.
Huerkamp praised Bennett’s investigative efforts.
“Although there isn’t necessarily anything ‘typical’ when it comes to these types of cases, this report presented itself in highly unusual fashion, to say the least. Nevertheless, Officer
Bennett painstakingly followed the evidence and proper procedures to ensure that at the end of the day a child predator faced justice swiftly and severely,” Huerkamp said. “This was exceptional police work on his part, and it should be recognized as such.”
Huerkamp adds, despite the nature and duration of the communications between Marshall and the victim, it is not believed that any physical contact between the two ever actually occurred,
“From my perspective, that is the least disgusting aspect of this case,” he said.
Huerkamp says this case is a stark reminder of the dangers posed by potential predators in today’s digital age.
He reminds parents that there are several safety tips they can follow with their own kids, including:
- Only use apps and platforms with verified parental controls and privacy settings.
- Supervise internet access and teach basic online safety rules such as not clicking on unknown links, not accepting friend requests from strangers, and not sharing locations.
- Keep devices in shared spaces and teach kids about “safe strangers” online.
- Start conversations early about digital footprints, encouraging them to be cautious about sharing personal information and pictures online.
- Regularly review your child’s apps, privacy settings, and device activity.
Huerkamp urges you to report any type of suspicious behavior discovered on a child’s phone or digital device to law enforcement immediately.
