A 23-year-old California man, Daniel Angel Martinez, has been arrested and accused of sexually exploiting a young teenage girl from Tempe, Arizona. Tempe Police Department made the arrest and disclosed this information, noting that the initial investigation began back in August 2025, according to FOX 10 Phoenix.
According to the statement released on Dec. 4 by Tempe Police and reported by FOX 10 Phoenix, the parents of the 13-year-old victim came upon explicit messages and images on her phone, which prompted the investigation. Martinez, residing in Pomona in the Los Angeles Area, was subsequently arrested on Nov. 19. While he has been charged, the case against him continues as police processes more evidence.
The victim allegedly met Martinez online through the Discord app when she was just 12 years old, and a so-called romantic relationship developed, per the released statement. "The investigation revealed Martinez and the victim initially met online through Discord when she was 12 and developed a romantic relationship," according to a portion of the statement obtained by Yahoo News. From January to September 2025, hundreds of nude images and videos were exchanged between them. Martinez is also alleged to have traveled to Arizona multiple times to engage in sexual conduct with the victim. Martinez has already been extradited back to Arizona, as confirmed by Tempe Police. While continuing to work on the case, they emphasized, "The investigation remains active as detectives continue processing evidence."
