Serial child predator sentenced to 25 years in prison for sexual coercion and enticement of minors
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Isaiah Austin, 21, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to coercion and enticement of two minors while required to register as a sex offender, and illegally possessing a firearm.
On December 3, 2020, Austin was convicted in state court of the criminal confinement and sexual battery of a minor. He was sentenced to five years in prison, with the time he served in pretrial detention executed, just less than a year, and the remaining four years to be served on probation. He was released from custody on the same day and was required by Indiana law to register as a sex offender.
In Feb. 2021, Marion County probation officers conducted a compliance visit on Austin at his home. During the search, officers located a cell phone which contained multiple images and videos of child sexual abuse, as well as images of Austin holding firearms. Officers also uncovered text and Snapchat messages between Austin and a 14-year-old girl, beginning in early Jan. 2021, less than a month after he was released from custody.
In these text and Snapchat messages, Austin detailed sexual acts he wanted to engage in with the child and instructed her to send him sexually explicit images of herself.
On November 10, 2021 Austin engaged in a Facebook chat in which he agreed to sell a handgun. On November 17, 2021, Lawrence Police Department officers went to an address where Austin has been staying for the past week. Austin fled the residence by running out of the house and jumping the fence as police arrived. The homeowner and their partner turned Austin’s 9mm handgun over to officers, which was the same make and model as the gun Austin agreed to sell.
On January 14, 2022, Austin was arrested on federal charges resulting from his exploitation of the 14-year-old girl. While detained in pretrial custody, Austin began sexually exploiting a second minor victim using the jail’s phone and messaging systems. Beginning in March 2022 and continuing through Sep. 2022, Austin directed the second minor to engage in sex acts with an adult male relative of Austin’s and send videos of the conduct to Austin.
Over the next few months, Austin attempted to coerce and entice the second minor into engaging in commercial sex acts, instructing her to “Look up this (adult pornography) website please we need to start making money. Please, for me.” Austin arranged for an adult male to meet up with the second minor for sex and told her that he would get her name tattooed on his face if she recorded the sexually explicit contact.
Austin can be heard on recorded jail calls directing the adult and the minor to engage in sex acts and confirm that they were being recorded.
“This serial sexual predator engaged in years of heinous sexual abuse and exploitation of children, undeterred even while he was on probation and in custody,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “He exploited vulnerable, underage girls for his own sick gratification with utter disregard for the dignity or safety of his child victims. Together with the U.S. Secret Service, IMPD, and Indiana’s outstanding Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, our federal prosecutors are committed to identifying and prosecuting these dangerous criminals. The sentence imposed here will ensure that our children are protected from this defendant for decades to come.”
Austin was ordered to be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 15 years following his release from federal prison and pay $5,000 in restitution for each victim.