Eagan Man Sentenced To 38 Years In Major Child Pornography Case
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- An Eagan man will spend decades behind bars for soliciting and distributing child pornography online.
Anton Alexander Martynenko, 33, will spend 38 years in prison. He pleaded guilty in January to one count of production of child pornography, one count of the distribution of it and one count of advertising it.
According to the criminal complaint, Martynenko solicited explicit images of more than 150 young men -- including teenagers -- via fake accounts on Facebook. Prosecutors say he would pose as a woman, telling the victims he just moved to Minnesota and wanted to make friends. He would engage in sexually explicit conversations with the victims until they sent him explicit pictures of themselves.
Prosecutors say Martynenko distributed those pictures online, and ultimately became the largest producer of child pornography ever prosecuted in Minnesota.
Authorities say anyone who thinks they may have been the victim of exploitation should call the National Center for Missing or Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).