A Michigan rock star’s career has been destroyed after he was found guilty of using children as young as seven to create pornographic videos.
Evan Mercer, who played the keys for Detroit band Mac Saturn, admitted to exploiting three minors in December, and he was sentenced to 15 years in jail on Friday.
Mercer, 31, was arrested in January 2024, and the sordid case surfaced just before the fast-rising rock band was set to go on national tour with their debut album.
The rock star ‘chatted with multiple minors online and recorded images of them nude and in sexually explicit positions’ according to the US Attorney’s Office in Michigan.
He contacted one girl as young as seven years old and recorded a video ‘of her exposing herself to a web camera’, the attorney’s office said.
Mercer, from Farmington on the outskirts of Detroit, also solicited nude images from ‘at least two other minors’. Details about their ages were not disclosed.
His ex-girlfriend brought the case to Ferndale Police in September 2023, when she found screenshots of him allegedly masturbating with children via Omegle.
The FBI Detroit, Oakland County Division took over the investigation. They seized his electronic devices and uncovered the sleazy recordings.
A rising rock star’s career has been destroyed after he was sent to prison for 15 years for creating child pornography. Evan Mercer (pictured) who played the keys for Mac Saturn, pleaded guilty to exploiting three minors in December, and he was sentenced on Friday
Mercer, 31, was arrested in January 2024, and the sordid case surfaced just before the fast-rising rock band was due to go on national tour with their debut album, Hard to Sell
Mercer’s band Mac Saturn (pictured) postponed the first of their tour dates in Albany and Boston, saying they hoped to announce new shows ‘in the near future’. They added that Mercer had been ‘a new addition to the band’ and they were not aware of his horrific crimes
Court documents said Mercer admitted to the sickening crimes during questioning by police in September 2023.
‘Mercer advised the screenshots were of him on an anonymous website Omegle, masturbating with underage people,’ the document reads.
‘Mercer explained that in approximately early 2021, Mercer was staying in Dexter, Michigan at a family cottage.
‘Mercer was depressed during the pandemic and began to use Omegle. Mercer had his microphone off while on Omegle, but he did communicate on Omegle by typing.’
US Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. slammed Mercer for ‘exploiting the youth, naivete and vulnerability’ of multiple children to ‘create sexual exploitative images’.
‘We are thankful to the brave witness who came forward to alert authorities of his crimes, and to the law enforcement who collected that evidence and ensured this offender was brought to justice,’ Gorgon added.
Mercer’s band Mac Saturn postponed the first of their tour dates in Albany and Boston, saying they hoped to announce new shows ‘in the near future’.
They added in a statement that Mercer had been ‘a new addition to the band’ and they were not aware of his horrific crimes.
Mercer’s band Mac Saturn (pictured) postponed the first of their tour dates in Albany and Boston, saying they hoped to announce new shows ‘in the near future’. They added that Mercer had been ‘a new addition to the band’ and they were not aware of his horrific crimes
Mercer, 31, was arrested in January 2024, and the sordid case surfaced just before the fast-rising rock band was due to go on national tour with their debut album, Hard to Sell
Court documents said Mercer admitted to the crimes during questioning by police in 2023
‘We are shocked to learn about the horrifying allegations involving Evan Mercer, a recent addition to the band,’ the rock band said.
‘We learned about these deeply troubling accusations earlier today and he is no longer a member of the band.
‘Our focus continues to be on our new record, the current tour, and our amazing fans.’
Mac Saturn, which comprises four more members – Carson Macc, Nick Barone, Mike Moody, and Aneglo Coppola – recently played at the Fillmore in Detroit, and Bourbon & Beyond festival in Louisville, Kentucky.
Videos posted on their Instagram show them performing on stage to thousands of adoring fans.
They dropped their debut album, Hard to Sell, on January 26, 2024, and they were due to go on national tour this year.
