Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


A Grand Blanc man who booked a hotel room to meet and sexually assault an 8-year-old girl has been sentenced.

38-year-old Daniel Joseph Martina was ordered to serve 12 years in federal prison for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.

Martina was sentenced by United States District Judge Shalina D. Kumar. At the time of his guilty plea, the United States Attorneys Office says Martina admitted that while online in November 2025 he met whom he believed to be the father of an 8-year-old girl who would let Martina sexually asssault his daughter in a hotel room while the father watched. In reality, the child did not exist and the ‘father’ was an undercover agent with Homeland Security Investigations.

According to court records, Martina messaged the undercover agent over the course of several days using the social media application Kik. He told the agent that the child’s young age was what he was looking forward to most about the encounter. And 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.

Martina eventually booked a hotel room to complete the crime and fulfil what he described as a long-time sexual fantasy of his. When he arrived, HSI agents were waiting for him with handcuffs. He’d brought with him a six-pack of beer, condoms, and devices with over 4,000 files of child pornography on them. As agents escorted Martina from the hotel, he told them, “I just want to thank you guys for catching me before I hurt someone.”

Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeremy Pierczynski with Homeland Security Investigations Detroit said “HSI will relentlessly pursue individuals who seek to exploit and harm children, whether they operate online or in person. Through proactive investigations and strong law enforcement partnerships, we will work to stop child predators before they can harm a child.”