GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A 28-year-old St. Ignace man was sentenced Wednesday to 50 years in prison for making child pornography in numerous counties across the state.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Grand Rapids, Eric Devin Masters previously pleaded guilty to three counts of producing child pornography with victims between the ages of 18 months and 12 years.
Those incidents occurred between May 2012 and August 2013, but officials say Masters’ crimes date back to June 2011. He was charged separately in cases involving two other young victims.
Masters molested the young victims in Kent, Ionia, Muskegon, Grand Traverse and Mackinac counties, officials said. He was on active duty with the Coast Guard when he made what he described as “sleep rape” videos of him with the young victims, according to a release.
Federal officials say he also assaulted an 18-month-old infant and traded video of the abuse for more child porn.
Masters was previously convicted in January 2014 of molesting a 17-year-old in Ionia County. While out on bond for that crime, officials say he used a fake Facebook account to contact a 13-year-old in Muskegon County and later had sex with her.
Masters was also ordered to pay $76,640 in restitution for counseling costs, officials said in a release.
