Sara Powers, Digital Content Producer
Published:
Sara Powers, Digital Content Producer
A former up-and-coming rock star from Oakland County has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison.
Evan Mercer, 31, of Farmington, was part of the rising local band Mac Saturn when he was arrested in connection with the child pornography case.
He was arrested in January 2024 after his ex-girlfriend provided police with evidence of child sex abuse material involving Mercer. His arrest came right before the band was set to kick off a headlining, 35-date tour with a hometown show.
In December 2024, Mercer pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child, and on Thursday, May 9, he was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison.
Prosecutors had asked for a 30-year sentence, while Mercer’s attorney requested 15 years, which was the mandatory minimum sentence required.
Here’s a timeline of events that led up to his sentencing:
WARNING: Some of the details included in this report are graphic.
In September 2023, Mercer’s ex-girlfriend went to the Ferndale Police Department after she logged onto her laptop and saw screenshots of Mercer masturbating with children online, according to an affidavit from an FBI agent.
The ex-girlfriend told police that she and Mercer used to live together and that his cellphone was synced to her laptop.
She put the screenshots onto a USB drive and gave it to the Ferndale Police Department.
The USB included a video that allegedly showed Mercer masturbating with a naked minor girl, approximately 7-9 years old, via the online chat website Omegle. He also sent messages encouraging the minor to engage in sexually explicit activity.
The witness identified the room in the video as being inside Mercer’s parents’ Farmington home.
Another screenshot allegedly showed Mercer masturbating to male genitalia. The screenshot was taken from an Omegle chat, where the person Mercer was allegedly chatting with identified himself as being 15 years old.
The ex-girlfriend identified the room from this screenshot as being a room in Mercer’s family cottage in Dexter.
A third screenshot from the Omegle chat shows that the age of the man they believed to be Mercer was listed in the chat as 27. The FBI agent said Mercer would have been 27 at the time based on the file date.
After reviewing the evidence, detectives interviewed Mercer the following day.
Mercer said his ex-girlfriend had also sent him the screenshots she gave to police and admitted to detectives that the screenshots were of him masturbating with underage individuals on Omegle, according to the affidavit.
He told detectives that during the COVID-19 pandemic, he was staying at his family’s cottage and was depressed, so he started to use Omegle.
Mercer said while using Omegle, he had his microphone off but would type chats to the people with whom he was talking.
He showed detectives the screenshots his ex-girlfriend had sent him, and they seized his phone.
After obtaining a search warrant, the detectives found 15 images of child sexual abuse, which included “prepubescent minors and minors engaged in sexual activity,” according to the affidavit.
Mercer was arrested days after the affidavit was filed. His arrest came the same day his band was set to release a new album and kick off a 35-date tour with a show at The Fillmore Detroit.
His band members released the following statement on Jan. 26, 2024:
“We are shocked to learn about the horrifying allegations involving Evan Mercer, a recent addition to the band. 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.”
Then, on Jan. 29, 2024, the band members released the following statement, announcing that they had canceled the tour.
“To fans, friends, and partners of Mac Saturn: “To fans, friends, and partners of Mac Saturn:
Friday was a paralyzing day and something that none of us could have ever prepared ourselves for. We have taken a few days to process and come to you with this message from our hearts.Friday was a paralyzing day and something that none of us could have ever prepared ourselves for. We have taken a few days to process and come to you with this message from our hearts.
First and most importantly, we want to extend our deepest and most profound sympathies, not only to the victims of the shocking and appalling behavior that our former band member Evan Mercer has been accused of but to anyone who has ever been a victim of such heinous and inexcusable crimes. We stand with all those who have been affected and are steadfast in our belief that anyone who has committed such atrocities should be held accountable to the absolute fullest extent of the law.First and most importantly, we want to extend our deepest and most profound sympathies, not only to the victims of the shocking and appalling behavior that our former band member Evan Mercer has been accused of but to anyone who has ever been a victim of such heinous and inexcusable crimes. We stand with all those who have been affected and are steadfast in our belief that anyone who has committed such atrocities should be held accountable to the absolute fullest extent of the law.
We also apologize for the hurt and confusion this has caused all of you over the last several days. We are beyond embarrassed that we put trust in someone who could do this. We also apologize for the hurt and confusion this has caused all of you over the last several days. We are beyond embarrassed that we put trust in someone who could do this.
In our darkest hour, we remain dedicated to creating music and spaces for people to celebrate life as safely and respectfully as possible. In light of this, we have made the difficult decision to end our tour effective immediately and will be making a donation to the Joyful Heart Foundation to help ensure victims and survivors have access to resources and treatment in the future.“In our darkest hour, we remain dedicated to creating music and spaces for people to celebrate life as safely and respectfully as possible. In light of this, we have made the difficult decision to end our tour effective immediately and will be making a donation to the Joyful Heart Foundation to help ensure victims and survivors have access to resources and treatment in the future.”
Mac Saturn announced three shows in September 2024, which were set to happen in Louisville, Boston and Albany, and said the following:
“With gratitude and supreme humility, we look ahead toward the next chapter of our musical journey. It has been a year of healing, reflecting and intense growth that the strength of our focus as a group has mirrored.
We thank deeply those who came forward to rid our lives of an unknown evil, and our loyal fans for the encouragement and love they’ve shared over these past months. We’re as hungry and excited as we’ve ever been to get back onstage and start writing this next chapter with you all.
See you on out there.
With love,
Carson, Mike, Angelo, and Nick“
They ended up postponing two of those shows less than a month later.
The announcement of the shows being postponed was the last time the band posted on its Instagram account.
In December 2024, Mercer pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a child under 18.
This carries a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 30 years, as well as a fine of up to $250,000 and a supervised release period of at least five years and up to life.
Mercer had also been charged with three counts of coercion and enticement of a minor under 18 and one count of possession of child pornography, but those charges were dismissed during his sentencing.
Mercer was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison on Thursday, May 8.
In a sentencing memorandum dated Sunday, April 27, 2025, Mercer’s attorney, Michael Rataj, requested a sentence of 15 years in prison for Mercer, which is the mandatory minimum sentence for this charge.
Rataj asked the court to consider several factors when requesting a 15-year sentence.
First, he said that Mercer “makes no excuses for what he did.”
“Mr. Mercer does not take issue with the circumstances of the offense,” Rataj said in the sentencing memorandum. “Mr. Mercer is remorseful, repentant, embarrassed and feels horrible for the children that were involved in his conduct. He makes no excuses for what he did. The court should take note that when confronted by the Ferndale police about what was found on his ex-girlfriend’s computer, Mr. Mercer, without an attorney, admitted to what he had done. Moreover, Mr. Mercer entered a timely plea and has taken full responsibility for his conduct.”
The attorney also pointed to support from Mercer’s family.
“Mr. Mercer is loved, and he has a very strong support system. Mr. Mercer does not have a malicious bone in his body. He is described as ‘a sweet, happy, joyous, positive, friendly, outgoing, thoughtful human who loves his family and friends,’” the sentencing memorandum says.
The attorney said Mercer’s parents and his two brothers have remained supportive throughout the case.
“It is clear that Mr. Mercer is not evil,” Rataj said. “Although the conduct that brings him before this court is abhorrent and serious, those that know Mr. Mercer the best know that he is not a monster.”
The attorney included several character letters from family and friends in the sentencing report.
In a letter written by his mother, she said Mercer is continuing to work on himself and remains positive.
“It has always been in his character to be able to get along with anyone, be concerned about the feelings of others, and have this overall positive outlook,” his mother wrote in her letter to the judge. “I am so amazed at my son, that under these extreme challenges to all of that, he’s able to maintain his sense of self and who he is.”
She also described how Mercer said he was happy to know that Mac Saturn was planning to play some shows following his arrest and the cancellation of the tour.
“We told Evan they were going back on the road for a few shows,” said his mother. “Two days later he said to us ‘I’ve been feeling really good lately and I finally figured out why. I’m so happy they are going back on the road. This had absolutely nothing to do with them, they knew nothing about it. It’s so unfair that my actions would impact their careers.’” (This refers to the shows previously described in this article, which ended up getting postponed.)
She said that Mercer has repeatedly said, “When people say, ‘I thought I knew him,’ I want them to know they do know me. I’m still all of the other good things they knew. I will work on this one area and get better.”
The attorney also said that a psychosexual evaluation and risk assessment were conducted, which determined there was a “low level of risk” for repeated violations by Mercer in the future.
Due to these reasons, the defense attorney asked the court to impose a 15-year sentence, but prosecutors disagree and want the maximum sentence for Mercer.
The prosecution requested 30 years in prison and said it “reflects the seriousness of Mercer’s conduct, delivers just punishment, serves as an adequate deterrence,” and “protects the public,” in a sentencing memorandum.
“The horrific nature of Mercer’s conduct cannot be understated, and it is impossible to ignore Mercer’s cruelty and callous attitude toward the children he abused,” assistant U.S. Attorney Nhan Ho wrote.
Ho said that the circumstances of the crime warrant the maximum sentence.
“There are no limits to Mercer’s fetish and impulse to gratify himself by preying on the most vulnerable,” Ho said in the sentencing memorandum. “Stripping away their innocence is not enough; exploiting them once was not enough. So that he can later sexually indulge himself, Mercer immortalized his victims’ sexual abuse by recording it, thereby infinitely exacerbating their suffering.”
The prosecution also pointed to Mercer’s supportive family members and claimed Mercer “had a head start over many defendants” as he had an abuse-free childhood, yet still exploited children.
“Mercer should be able to appreciate the fortuity and importance of having a sheltered, unblemished, and innocent childhood, which allowed him to thrive to his full potential,” they said. “Yet, as a grown adult, he cruelly stripped away his victims’ innocence, depriving them of the chance to grow up normally.”
In response to Mercer saying he was depressed and undergoing mental health struggles when he committed the crime, prosecutors said he hadn’t sought mental health treatment until the investigation was underway.
“While the stressors caused by the pandemic are understandable, Mercer’s mental health problems post-pandemic, addressed only after he was caught, are not ‘present to an unusual degree and distinguish the case from the typical cases covered by the guidelines,’” Ho said in the sentencing memorandum.
Prosecutors argued that a 30-year sentence would protect the public and hopefully send Mercer the message that if he victimizes a child again, he will spend the remainder of his life in prison.
“Mercer’s callous and depraved conduct surpasses the typical child exploitation, which, by its nature, is incredibly serious,” the prosecution’s sentencing memorandum said. “Mercer robbed these children, as young as 7 years old, of their innocence, manipulating them into committing sexual acts for his enjoyment. Mercer’s victims have not yet been identified, and there is no telling the full extent of the damage he has done, and whether these children will ever be able to live productive, healthy lives.”
Copyright 2025 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.
Sara Powers joined WDIV as a digital content producer in Oct. 2024 and has been covering Metro Detroit news since 2021.
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