Grand Blanc man sentenced for attempted sexual coercion of 8-year-old girl
A Grand Blanc man who booked a hotel room to meet and rape an 8-year-old girl was sentenced Tuesday to 12 years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gordon Jr. of the Eastern District of Michigan.
Daniel Joseph Martina, 38, of Grand Blanc, was sentenced by United States District Judge Shalina D. Kumar for attempted sexual coercion and enticement of an 8-year-old girl to engage in illegal sexual activity.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Martina met a man online in November 2025 — who he believed to be the father of the 8-year-old girl, but was in reality an undercover agent with Homeland Security Investigations — who would let him rape his daughter in a hotel room.
According to court records, Martina messaged the undercover agent over several days via the social media app Kik and told the agent that the child's young age was what he was most looking forward to. In exchange for access to the child, Martina promised to give the undercover agent a cache of child pornography and offered to bring a six-pack of beer for them to split at the hotel, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Martina eventually booked a hotel room and was arrested by Homeland Security Investigations Detroit (HSI) agents when he arrived. He had brought a six-pack of beer, condoms and devices with over 4,000 files of child pornography on them, the U.S. Attorney's Office says.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, while agents escorted Martina from the hotel, he told them, "I just want to thank you guys for catching me before I hurt someone."
"HSI will relentlessly pursue individuals who seek to exploit and harm children, whether they operate online or in person," said HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Jeremy Pierczynski. "Through proactive investigations and strong law enforcement partnerships, we will work to stop child predators before they can harm a child."
