Napa County Man Convicted Of Multiple Child Molestations; Faces Life In Prison

NAPA (BCN) -- A 36-year-old Napa County man was convicted last week of 17 criminal charges of child molestation and two related special allegations, Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley announced Tuesday.

Flemin Fernando Martinez was found guilty of 12 counts of lewd act upon a child, two counts of oral copulation with a child 10 or under, one count of forcible rape of a child over 14, one count of using a minor for sex acts, and one count of possession of matter depicting a minor engaging in sexual conduct.

The conviction, which followed a six-day jury trial in Napa Superior Court before Judge Mark Boessenecker, also included special allegations that Martinez "had substantial sexual conduct with a child and that the defendant committed a sexual offense against multiple victims," according to a statement from the district attorney's office.

Prosecutors said the charges stemmed from sexual contact Martinez had with three family members and a family friend who were between 7 and 16 years old at the time of the molestations from 2011 to 2019 in Napa County.

"The investigation by the Napa Police Department was prompted by a close friend of one survivor reporting the disclosure of sexual abuse to a family member who was also a school official," according to a statement from the district attorney's office.

All four survivors, now between the ages of 12 and 17, testified against Martinez during the trial.

"This case is the perfect example of why we need children in our community to feel safe enough at schools to talk about difficult issues involving abuse with friends, teachers, and school staff," said Napa County Deputy District Attorney Agnes Dziadur, who prosecuted the case. "It took a lot of courage for this survivor to tell her friend about what the defendant had done to her and for her friend to report what was disclosed. Without that, the Napa Police Department may have never uncovered the wide-reaching and long-term web of sexual abuse the defendant had woven. All four survivors exhibited exemplary bravery by testifying in court against their abuser, especially in these trying and uncertain times."

Martinez, who is being held without bail, faces a life sentence in state prison. He is scheduled for a sentencing hearing at 8:30 a.m. on May 27.

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