A man from Rapid City, South Dakota, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for the sexual exploitation of a minor. The sentencing was announced by United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell and took place on December 5, 2024, under U.S. District Court Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Charles Martinez-Olson, aged 33, will also face five years of supervised release following his prison term. Additionally, he is required to pay $21,000 in restitution to his victims and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. His cellular phone was ordered forfeited as part of the sentence. Martinez-Olson must register as a sex offender according to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
The indictment against Martinez-Olson was issued by a federal grand jury in October 2023, with him pleading guilty on September 23, 2024.
Between December 2020 and March 2023, Martinez-Olson used Snapchat to entice two female minors into engaging in sexually explicit conduct for recording purposes. Both victims were under the age of 12 at the time. He reportedly masturbated during these video chats while instructing the minors to expose themselves. His Snapchat account contained multiple videos of these acts. Furthermore, authorities discovered that he possessed additional material involving child sexual abuse, including a video depicting an assault on a disabled boy.
This case falls under Project Safe Childhood—a national initiative aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse—launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006. The project is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along with the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and collaborates with various federal, state, and local agencies to prosecute offenders and rescue victims.
The investigation was conducted by the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox handling prosecution duties.
Following his sentencing, Martinez-Olson was remanded into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.