NYPD cop convicted of possessing child pornography
Former NYPD cop Timothy Martinez, who was found guilty on child pornography charges and is facing 15 years in prison.
NEW YORK - A former NYPD officer is facing a minimum of 15 years in prison after being convicted of possessing child pornography.
Officer Timothy Martinez was found guilty of four counts of sexual exploitation and attempted exploitation of minors, possession of child pornography, and attempted receipt of child pornography.
The conviction was announced Tuesday by United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Breon Peace.
"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," Peace said in a statement.
Authorities said that Martinez had engaged in live video sex chats with two minors. One of the victims had been treated for a brain tumor, and Martinez convinced her to perform sexual acts during their video chats. The second victim had previously been sexually abused by family members, and despite disclosing this information to Martinez, he still convinced her to show him her nude body and engage in sex acts.
In addition to the live video sex chats, authorities say Martinez also possessed hundreds of images of child pornography. He was caught in June 2018 when he attempted to receive numerous videos of child pornography from an individual he believed to be a minor.
"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," stated NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell. "Such reprehensible behavior is wholly unacceptable of anyone, especially a member of law enforcement."