A former NYPD cop has been convicted on child pornography charges, and will now spend a minimum of 15 years behind bars.
Following a one week trial, a federal jury in Brooklyn found Timothy Martinez guilty on a four-counts — possession of child pornography, attempted receipt of child pornography, and two counts of sexual exploitation and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor.
According to evidence at the trial, between October 2016 and March 2017, the 43-year-old defendant engaged in live video sex chats with an underage girl, identified only as Jane Doe #1, who had been reeling from treatment of a brain tumor, and convinced her to to perform sexual acts.
The defendant also engaged in live video sex chats with a second victim, also under the age of 18, between September 2012 and November 2016. He similarly convinced her to show him her nude body and engage in sexual acts — even after she disclosed that she had previously been abused by family members.
“Our police officers have a sworn duty to protect, but this defendant betrayed that oath and preyed upon some of the most at-risk members of our community,” Keechant L. Sewell, NYPD Commissioner, said in a statement. “Such reprehensible behavior is wholly unacceptable of anyone, especially a member of law enforcement. I commend and thank Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York for their important work on this case.”
Martinez also possessed hundreds of images of child pornography, investigators said.
Also, in June 2018, the defendant attempted to receive numerous videos of child pornography from an individual he believed to be a minor.
Martinez served as a cop in various places, including Brooklyn’s notorious 75th precinct, covering East New York and parts of Brownsville, as reported by The New York Times. Most recently, he worked for the 1st Precinct in Manhattan. Immediately prior to his arrest, he was on active duty in the U.S Army Reserve.
“The jury found that the defendant not only violated the trust of the public that he was sworn to serve but specifically victimized vulnerable children for years. Instead of using his position as a member of the NYPD to protect children, he shamefully gained the trust of minors in order to sexually exploit them,” Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a statement. “Protecting children from sexual exploitation will always be a priority of this Office. I commend the prosecutors and investigators for their outstanding work removing this predator from patrolling the streets and from our district.”
The former cop now faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison when he is sentenced.
