A jury sentenced Walter Hernandez-Martinez, 43, of Maryland, to 75 years in a Texas prison after finding him guilty of the continuous sexual abuse of a 13-year-old girl in Montgomery County. Prosecutors said the crimes occurred in February and May 2024 after he traveled across state lines and involved soliciting nude images and sending sexually explicit videos to the victim, according to Click2Houston.
Evidence presented at trial included GPS data from his phone placing him at the scene and testimony that one assault happened inside a home while a younger child slept nearby. A forensic medical exam found injuries consistent with sexual abuse, and DNA testing linked Hernandez-Martinez to the crimes.
Hernandez-Martinez told the jury that a “witch” in Mexico compelled him to abuse the child and claimed the same person hacked his phone and conducted the incriminating searches, but jurors rejected his explanation. Prosecutors said the evidence showed he “crossed the country to abuse a vulnerable child and thought distance would protect him,” adding that the no-parole sentence means he “will never again have access to a child,” as per KHOU. Last Wednesday, Judge Patty Maginnis of the 435th District Court sentenced Hernandez-Martinez to 75 years in prison without the possibility of parole under Texas law.
