Jacksonville child sex trafficker and producer of videos of child sex abuse sentenced to 55 years

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Mark Manuel Angeles Marino, 27, from Jacksonville, has been sentenced to 55 years in federal prison for child sex trafficking and the production, receipt, and possession of child sexual abuse material.

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According to court documents, in March 2019, Marino responded to an ad on the dark web offering child sexual abuse material for sale.

Marino specifically inquired about receiving several videos of children being sexually assaulted.

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On Oct. 23, 2019, Marino sent $172.09 in bitcoin to the supplier of the videos. The following day he received a two-minute video of a young child engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

The next day, Marino requested another video and sent the supplier $909.07 in bitcoin as payment.

According to the U.S. States Attorney’s office, agents seized Marino’s electronics and discovered thousand of files of child sexual abuse subject matter. The investigation also revealed that Marino had produced child sex abuse files of a 12-year-old that he knew.

“Child predators feel they can target and victimize children and remain hidden behind the anonymity of the Dark Web,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “HSI special agents in Jacksonville, New York, and the Philippines, utilizing cutting-edge techniques, ensured that this predator was identified and held accountable for his crimes.”

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U.S. District Timothy J. Corrigan also ordered Marino to serve a life term of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $163,500 to victims of his crimes. Marino had been found guilty after a bench trial on Nov. 16.

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This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.

This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Led by the United States Attorneys’ offices and the Criminal Division’s child exploitation and obscenity section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.