Previously Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for New Child Pornography Charges and Registration Violations

EL PASO, Texas – An Anthony man who had previously been convicted for aggravated sexual assault of a prepubescent child was sentenced in a federal court in El Paso today to life in prison plus 10 years for producing, possessing and exchanging child sexual abuse material (CSAM), violating the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), and committing a sex offense as a registered sex offender.

According to court documents, Mark Martinez, 57, was found to be distributing CSAM within a group on the social messaging application Kik. Martinez was previously convicted in 1991 for the sexual assault of a child around the age of eight years old and, as of 2022, was residing at an address unknown to his registration officer.

FBI agents executed a search warrant in August 2022, seizing several electronic devices containing CSAM images and videos. One of those devices contained multiple photos taken at his residence in July, depicting a female approximately five to six years old. The device also contained a folder of videos of another minor female downloaded from WhatsApp. A separate device revealed chats on the messaging app Telegram, in which Martinez admitted to sexually molesting a minor. Agents discovered approximately 2,391 CSAM images and 138 CSAM videos on one device, several of which involved prepubescent minors. Martinez’s cellphone contained approximately 50 more CSAM images.

A criminal complaint and arrest warrant were issued for Martinez in October 2022. Martinez had already fled to Mexico without reporting to his registration officer and was arrested at the Columbus Port of Entry in New Mexico when he returned March 3, 2023. A federal grand jury indicted Martinez March 22, 2023. He pleaded guilty to all five counts on Aug. 21, 2024.

“Placing this child predator behind bars for the rest of his life makes certain this predator will never again harm another child,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “The facts of this case are incredibly disturbing, and I thank all of our law enforcement partners for their work investigating this case, which led to this repeat offender’s ultimate conviction, and life imprisonment.”

"Martinez is a dangerous sexual predator who preyed on our community’s most vulnerable victims- our children. This case highlights the disturbing reality of sexual exploitation, and the sentence ensures this predator will remain behind bars and unable to continue such atrocities physically and on the web,” said FBI El Paso Special Agent in Charge John Morales. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain steadfast in our commitment to work together to ensure no child is victimized in this way.”

The FBI, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and the Winnebago County Sherriff’s Office investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Valenzuela and Lori Hughes prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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