OKLAHOMA CITY — A 48-year-old Oklahoma City man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for child sex trafficking, federal prosecutors announced Friday.
U.S. District Judge David L. Russell sentenced Marlon Dewayne Martin to 240 months in prison, followed by supervised release for life. Prosecutors said Martin exploited a homeless female minor for commercial sex acts between September 2023 and February 2024, fully aware she was under the age of 18, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Oklahoma City.
According to public records, Martin worked with another individual to recruit the minor and then facilitated commercial sex “dates” by providing transportation and hotel rooms and collecting the proceeds. Martin also produced and distributed child pornography involving the minor.
On Sept. 17, 2024, a federal grand jury charged Martin with child sex trafficking. He pleaded guilty on Feb. 7, 2025, admitting that he had rented a hotel room and transported the victim to engage in commercial sex acts.
At sentencing Friday, Judge Russell cited Martin’s extensive criminal record — which includes 15 separate convictions ranging from assault on a police officer to drug distribution and DUIs — in addition to the severity of the current offense and the need to protect the public.
U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester called the exploitation of minors “among the most reprehensible crimes we confront.”
“This sentence reflects not only the seriousness of the offense but also our unwavering commitment to protecting the most vulnerable,” Troester said in a prepared statement.
Donnie Anderson, director of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, praised the work of his agency’s Human Trafficking Unit.
“The actions of Marlon Dewayne Martin could best be described as pure evil, using a juvenile victim for commercial sex trafficking and distributing child pornography,” Anderson said. “I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office Western District for their prosecution and securing this sentence. And I am extremely proud of the exhaustive investigative work by my agency’s Human Trafficking Unit to get this predator off our streets and rescuing the victim so they could get immediate access to recovery assistance.”
James Carmany, assistant special agent in charge for the Homeland Security Investigations Dallas–Oklahoma Division, said Martin’s conviction marks the beginning of the victim’s path to recovery.
“HSI works relentlessly with our law enforcement partners every single day to ensure those involved in sexually exploitative acts against children are brought to justice,” Carmany said. “With this child predator behind bars, the lengthy healing journey for this unwarranted trauma can now begin.”
The case was investigated by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bow Bottomly prosecuted the case.
Martin’s prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Brett is the founder, and editor in chief of Oklahoma City Free Press. He continues to contribute reporting and photography to the efforts of the publication as well as leadership in developing support.
