Boise Man Sentenced for Failing to Register as a Sex Offender

BOISE - Richard Martinez, Jr., 39, of Boise, Idaho, was sentenced today in United States District Court to 15 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release, for failing to register as a sex offender, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.  Martinez pleaded guilty to the charges on March 7, 2016.

According to the plea agreement, Martinez was convicted in July 2011, of possession of child pornography by the Department of the Army.  As a result of the conviction, Martinez was required to register and update his registration under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).  Martinez was previously convicted of failing to register as a sex offender in Ada County, Idaho in 2015.  After his release from custody in February 2015, Martinez registered as a sex offender with the State of Idaho, listing his residence as a hotel in Boise.  Martinez confirmed this as his residence with the State of Idaho in April and June 2015.  However, Martinez moved from the hotel in May 2015, and did not update his registration.  Boise Police detectives arrested Martinez in Garden City, Idaho on July 8, 2015.  Martinez subsequently admitted that he had moved approximately four to six weeks earlier and had not updated his registry as required.    

The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service (USMS), the Boise Police Department, and the Idaho Department of Correction, Bureau of Probation and Parole.

Richard Martinez, Jr. was prosecuted for a violation of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) passed by Congress in 2006.  The Act requires sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction where they reside.  Violations of SORNA can be prosecuted in federal court.