An Anthony man with a prior child sexual assault conviction has been given a life sentence plus an additional 10 years for new child pornography charges and failing to comply with registration requirements, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas. Mark Martinez, age 57, was discovered to be sharing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in a Kik messaging app group.
Martinez, who was initially convicted in 1991 for sexually assaulting a child, had also violated the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) by failing to report his address changes. In August 2022, FBI agents executed a search warrant, leading to the seizure of devices containing thousands of CSAM images and videos. Agents found pictures at Martinez’s residence of a young girl estimated to be five to six years old, along with chats on Telegram where Martinez admitted to sexually molesting a minor. According to the Justice Department, approximately 2,391 CSAM images and 138 videos were found on one device, many depicting prepubescent children.
A criminal complaint and arrest warrant were issued in October 2022 after Martinez fled to Mexico, attempting to avoid arrest. He was subsequently apprehended at the Columbus Port of Entry in New Mexico on his return on March 3, 2023, and indicted later that month. On Aug. 21, 2024, Martinez pleaded guilty to all five counts. U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons stated, "Placing this child predator behind bars for the rest of his life makes certain this predator will never again harm another child," in a statement released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
FBI El Paso Special Agent in Charge John Morales highlighted the gravity of the situation: "Martinez is a dangerous sexual predator who preyed on our community’s most vulnerable victims- our children. This case highlights the disturbing reality of sexual exploitation, and the sentence ensures this predator will remain behind bars and unable to continue such atrocities physically and on the web.” The FBI, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, and the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation leading up to Martínez's sentencing, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Valenzuela and Lori Hughes prosecuting the case.
This case falls under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice, begun in May 2006, aiming to aggressively combat the proliferation of child sexual exploitation and abuse. To find out more about this initiative, the U.S. Attorney's Office invites the public to visit their information page.
