Marciniak
A Kokomo man is facing child sex crime charges after he had an inappropriate relationship with a Johnson County middle school student.
Trey O. Marciniak, 19, was charged by prosecutors on June 17 with sexual misconduct with a minor and child exploitation, both Level 5 felonies.
The investigation into Marciniak began after a woman reported in April that a juvenile dependent of hers may have been having an inappropriate relationship with a 19-year-old man — later identified as Marciniak — based on text messages she saw on the victim’s phone. The girl is 14 years old, and referenced being a middle school student in one of the messages, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Johnson County Circuit Court on June 17.
Deputies with the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office looked at the phone and saw there was a long text conversation dating back to January of this year between the girl and Marciniak. In the messages, they arranged to meet up at several locations, and the girl had sent explicit photos of herself. There were also explicit videos of Marciniak with the girl, according to the affidavit.
Law enforcement also conducted a search for a contact on the phone for Marciniak to confirm if it was him, and it was, the affidavit says.
Later, deputies contacted Kokomo Police to arrange a meeting with Marciniak and to seize his cell phone. An officer seized Marciniak’s phone and informed him of the investigation, and Marciniak expressed concern for the girl. He later asked if he was “going to made into a pedophile,” the affidavit says.
Deputies then spoke with the girl, who said she had begun a relationship with Marciniak in January, which at times turned intimate. The victim told police that Marciniak was aware of her age, and that they had ended the relationship at one point because of it. However, they decided to continue with it, according to the affidavit.
The girl also said they willingly sent photos to Marciniak and that she had asked Marciniak to send an explicit video to her, the affidavit says.
During a search of Marciniak’s phone, deputies found the same messages as they did on the victim’s phone, including explicit photos and videos, according to the affidavit.
Deputies attempted to schedule an interview with Marciniak multiple times through a relative, however, these attempts were unsuccessful, the affidavit says.
A warrant was issued for Marciniak on Tuesday, and he was booked into the Johnson County jail on a $1,200 bond on Thursday. He later paid his bond and was released.
