A 34-year-old Ocala man is being held without bond after deputies say he used Instagram and text messaging to solicit a 17-year-old for sex, paid her for explicit images, and met with her in person for sexual activity.
According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Richard Evan Bastian of Ocala was arrested at his residence September 23 following an investigation by the Major Crimes Unit. Bastian faces multiple felony charges, including human trafficking, solicitation of a child, traveling to meet a minor, unlawful sexual activity with a minor, use of a child in a sexual performance, possession of child pornography, and transmitting harmful material to a minor.
Investigators say the case began after the victim’s sister contacted deputies earlier this month, reporting concerns that the teen was exchanging explicit photos for drugs. Deputies arranged a forensic interview at Kimberly’s Center for Child Protection, where the victim disclosed she had met Bastian on Instagram about a month earlier. She told him she was 17, but investigators say he misrepresented his age, claiming to be in his twenties when he was actually 34.
The victim told investigators Bastian requested sexually explicit photos and videos, some of which she was paid for through PayPal in the amount of about $130. She also said he offered marijuana and THC cartridges in exchange for images. Detectives later found multiple explicit pictures and videos on her phone, along with a sexually explicit video Bastian allegedly sent of himself.
According to the affidavit, the teen also described meeting Bastian in person about two weeks before the interview. She said she snuck out of her home and met him nearby, where he picked her up in a white Honda Accord and drove to a local park. The victim said the two engaged in sexual activity inside the vehicle. She told investigators they later went to a Wawa for food before he dropped her back off.
Deputies say additional messages revealed plans for another late-night meeting on September 23, just hours after law enforcement was contacted. During a review of the victim’s phone, detectives found explicit conversations, requests for videos, and saved images that met the state’s definition of child pornography.
Bastian was interviewed after his arrest and admitted to meeting with the teen, receiving images, and saving them to his phone, though deputies say his statements frequently contradicted one another. At one point, he said the victim told him she was 19, but detectives noted the messages and her disclosures showed otherwise. He also admitted to paying for photos and acknowledged saving them in a private folder on his phone. According to the report, Bastian went further, telling investigators that despite his arrest, the images were “still worth it.”
Bastian was booked into the Marion County Jail, where he remains held without bond.
Ocala Man Arrested on Multiple Child Exploitation Charges
