Serial Child Molester Convicted By Napa County Jurors: DA

NAPA COUNTY, CA — Following a six-day jury trial, a Napa County man was convicted April 20 of 17 criminal charges and two special allegations for sexually molesting three family members and a family friend when they were between 7 and 16 years old, Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley announced Tuesday in a news release.

Jurors found 36-year-old Flemin Fernando Martinez 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, Haley said.

In a trial presided over by Napa County Superior Court Judge Mark Boessenecker, the jury also found true special allegations that Martinez had substantial sexual conduct with a child and that he committed a sexual offense against multiple victims, Haley said.

The four survivors, who are now between 12 and 17 years old, testified against Martinez for the sexual contact he had with them between 2011 and 2019 in Napa County.

The Napa Police Department began investigating Martinez when one of the survivors disclosed the sexual abuse to a close friend who then told a family member who was a school official.

"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 Agnes Dziadur, the Napa County deputy district attorney who prosecuted the case against Martinez.

"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," Dziadur said. "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."

Napa police detectives Brandt Keown and Jason Barrera led the investigation, which began immediately after the police department was contacted the morning of Oct. 16, 2019, by Napa County Child Welfare about a child who was still in danger, police said at the time.

That same day at 5 p.m., Martinez was detained after the child was forensically interviewed, police said.

After he was interviewed at the police department he was booked into jail.

When several Napa police investigators recognized similarities with a case reported earlier in 2019, they had that child forensically interviewed. They also re-interviewed Martinez.

Martinez now faces a life sentence in state prison. He is due in court May 27 for a sentencing hearing.

Until then, he remains in custody without bail.