A San Antonio man was sentenced last week to 30 years in prison for the sexual exploitation of a young child.
According to court documents, Pedro Damian Martinez, 29, sexually assaulted the prepubescent minor on numerous occasions, and recorded the acts on video. Investigators also found that Martinez possessed more than 100 other child pornography videos on his phone, which he’d received via the internet.
In addition to the decades-long sentence, Martinez was ordered to pay $50,000 to the sexual assault victim in restitution and forfeit the cell phones used to produce the child sexual abuse material.
“The lengthy sentence imposed in this case is fitting in light of the unthinkable damage this individual inflicted on a child,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. “Along with our partners, we will continue to hold those who harm the lives of innocents accountable for their actions.”
“This verdict illustrates the importance of law enforcement agencies working together in efforts to bring violent predators to justice and protect our communities,” said a spokesperson with the San Antonio Police Department Public Information Office.
The FBI, SAPD and Bexar County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
You can take steps to prevent being in a situation that could lead you to be assaulted by a sexual predator, like ensuring you are aware of your surroundings at all times, taking precautions to protect your privacy online, and having others help you when situations seem uncomfortable, wrote
Joseph Bautista, Self Defense Specialist, Martial Arts Instructor, & 1st Aid/CPR Instructor.
“Most importantly, trust your instincts. If something doesn’t feel right to you, find a way to get out of the situation. You do not need to be polite, you need to be safe.
Trust your instincts. If something feels “off,” trust your gut: It probably is. Many times people ignore their gut instincts out of politeness or not wanting to hurt someone’s feelings. You are always allowed to leave a situation without explanation, but especially when you feel threatened. While this may be more difficult in situations where you know the person who is making you uncomfortable (and in some instances, may even be related to them), keep in mind that most sexual assault victims know their perpetrator.
Three out of four rapes were committed by someone known to the victim, while 93% of juvenile sexual abuse victims knew their abuser.[2]
It can be very difficult to stop caring about what other people think. If you are still feeling compelled to stay in an uncomfortable situation, you could think to yourself: They started it! The person who is making you feel uncomfortable clearly doesn’t care about your feelings, so why should you care about theirs?”
