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A Bronx, N.Y. man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to coercing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography, as well as traveling with the intent to engage in illicit conduct with the minor victim.
Markell Greene, 27, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit conduct. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for Feb. 15, 2024. Greene was initially arrested on state warrants in February 2022 and indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2022. He has remained in custody since.
Greene persuaded, enticed and coerced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography. Additionally, on or about Feb. 14, 2022, Greene traveled in interstate commerce with a motivating purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with the minor victim.
In late 2021, Greene sent an unsolicited Snapchat message to the then-12-year-old minor victim, who believed Greene to be approximately 16 years old. Over the course of several months, Greene manipulated the minor victim into sending sexually explicit photos and videos of herself at his request. Greene also directed the minor victim to brag about her age during the sexually explicit videos.
In February 2022, Greene persuaded the minor victim to meet him in-person at a parking lot in Arlington. On Feb. 14, 2022, Greene arrived to the agreed upon meet up in an SUV, picked up the minor victim and parked the car in an adjacent parking lot. There, Greene raped the minor victim and forced her to engage in oral sex, which he recorded on Snapchat.
“Mr. Greene is a serious danger to our communities. Under the cloak of social media anonymity, he targeted, exploited and violated the innocence of a vulnerable child. His conduct was beyond despicable and I commend the incredible bravery of the victim for coming forward. Today, this predator now stands as a convicted felon who now faces more than a decade in federal prison for his reprehensible conduct,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “There is no higher priority for this Office and our law enforcement partners than protecting children. This case is a stark reminder of the evil that exists in our society. Make no mistake about it, if you prey on children in this District we will spare no resource to ensure our children are safe from harm and hold dangerous offenders accountable.”
“What Markell Greene admitted to doing today to this 12-year-old child was heinous, and his actions will have untold ramifications on this brave victim’s life for years to come,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Every day, FBI Boston’s Child Exploitation – Human Trafficking Task Force is working hard to protect our most vulnerable by identifying and apprehending predators like Greene who take advantage of their innocence to commit atrocious acts.”
The charge of sexual exploitation of children provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of travel with intent to engage in illicit conduct provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Arlington, Mass. and New York City Police Departments; the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
