Man gets 14 years for sexual abuse of Vermilion Co. minor

URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — An Indiana man has been sentenced for child sex crimes.

20-year-old Dylan B. Clark has been sentenced to more than 14 years in prison after picking up a girl from Vermilion County and bringing her to his home in Indiana.

Clark was 19 years old at the time of the crime. He traveled across state lines to meet up with an 11-year-old girl from Georgetown and lure her back to his Franklin, Ind. home, where he engaged in sexual conduct.

An investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Springfield Field Office, the Vermilion County Sheriff’s Department, and Indiana’s Johnson County Sheriff’s Office.

Clark was arrested in September 2022 and was placed into the custody of the U.S. Marshal Service. One year later, he pled guilty to transporting a minor across state lines with intent to engage in sexual activity.

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“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. “The FBI is committed to ensuring that those intent on harming children will instead spend their days behind bars.”

During the sentencing hearing, the judge called the offense “horrific,” noting that Clark had irrevocably scarred a child through his actions.

Following his 172-month prison sentence, Clark is to have 10 years of supervised release.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Central District of Illinois and elsewhere continues to fight to protect this nation’s children from sexual abusers,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel E. Ritzer said. “Through the hard work of specialized agents within the Federal Bureau of Investigation and close cooperation with local law enforcement agencies across Illinois and Indiana, justice was gained for the minor victim in this tragic case.”

This case was investigated as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s initiative to prevent child exploitation and abuse, Project Safe Childhood.

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