***UPDATE 1-23-15***Case disposition: On 1-19 to 1-21-2015, Paul John Martinez was tried in 251st District Court in Randall County on charges stemming from this case. He was found guilty of ten counts of possession of child pornography, one count of indecency with a child by sexual contact, and two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child. Punishment was assessed at ten years imprisonment on each of the ten pornography charges, twenty years for the indecency with a child, and life in prison on each count of aggravated sexual assault of a child. These are the maximum sentences. The Randall County District Attorney’s Office said that their successful prosecution was aided by the work of field officers who quickly involved investigators, who in turn quickly seized evidence and compiled a thorough case to document the offenses.
***UPDATED 11-4-13** APD detectives continuing to investigate this case filed a second complaint against Paul John Martinez. On 10-24-13, the Randall County District Attorney's office accepted a charge of Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child/Victim under 14, under cause 24763. Martinez remains in custody under a total of $275,000 in bonds on the two criminal complaints.
DETAILS: On the evening of 10-5-13, officers responded to a call at an apartment complex in south Amarillo. An adult female reported that she believed that a child had entered an adult male’s apartment and engaged in sexual contact with the adult male. The woman is related to the juvenile victim. The suspect was not on the premises when officers arrived. While officers were on the scene, witnesses reported suspicions that the same suspect had used a computer to show pornographic images to children in a common area of the apartments. While officers were investigating the incident, the suspect approached the apartment where the incident was reported to have happened. Officers detained him and secured a notebook type computer and a flash drive that he was carrying. He was interviewed by investigators. The investigation did not provide sufficient evidence to arrest the suspect at that time. Officers obtained enough information to secure a search warrant for the suspect’s apartment and they served the search warrant in the early morning hours of the 6th. Officers seized three computers and numerous CDs from the home. The man was released pending investigation into the content of the computers and CDs. Officers reviewed some of the evidence seized and submitted other evidence for forensic examination. Investigators found evidence of child pornography. On 10-18-13, the Randall County District Attorney’s Office accepted a 10-count complaint of possession of child pornography, cause #24748, against Paul John Martinez HM age 37 of Amarillo. On 10-22-13, Martinez was arrested by Randall County deputies and booked into the Randall County Jail. APD Crimes Against Persons Detectives are still investigating this case.
