URBANA, Ill. — A Franklin man will serve 14 years in prison after US Marshals arrested him in 2022 for crossing state lines to pick up a young girl for sex.
Dylan B. Clark, 20, pleaded guilty to his crime on Sept. 8, 2023, and was sentenced on Feb. 9 to 172 months in prison.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of Illinois, Clark drove from his Indiana home when he was 19 and crossed into Illinois where he picked up an 11-year-old girl whom he’d been talking to online.
Clark drove the girl back to his home in Franklin where he reportedly engaged in sexual conduct with the child, according to U.S. Attorney’s Office.
U.S. District Court Judge Colin S. Bruce called Clark’s crime “horrific,” stating that he had irrevocably scarred a child through his actions.
“A child’s vulnerability can easily be exploited by offenders like Clark. Even though this sentence reflects the magnitude of his criminal conduct, it cannot undo the impact suffered by an 11-year-old child,” said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge David Nanz.
Clark will serve 10 years on probation following his prison stint.
