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	Ex-Church Volunteer Pleads Guilty in Abuse Case By Geoff Grammer Santa Fe New Mexican August 15, 2011 http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/Ex-church-volunteer-pleads-guilty-in-abuse-case Anthony J. Martinez, the former volunteer coordinator of a youth ministry program at a prominent Catholic church in Santa Fe, pleaded guilty Monday to charges that he had sexual contact with a teenage boy and also contributed to the delinquency of a minor. In exchange for the guilty plea, which carries up to a 7 1/2-year prison sentence, state prosecutors agreed to drop felony charges of criminal sexual penetration, giving alcohol to a minor and two counts of criminal solicitation. The 35-year-old former youth leader will not learn whether he will serve any time behind bars — or whether he'll have to register as a sex offender — until he completes a 12- to 18-month intensive inpatient sex-offender treatment program at the New Mexico Behavioral Health Institute in Las Vegas. "(My son) will never be able to enjoy his life the way he could have because of Anthony Martinez," the mother of the boy with whom Martinez admitted having oral sex told the court Monday. She went on to ask that Martinez be required to register as a sex offender, "not only for my son, but for all the victims in this case." State police records indicate that Martinez, a former part-time volunteer of the Edge youth-ministry program at Santa María de la Paz Catholic Community in Santa Fe, once gave a cellphone to a teen boy in exchange for being allowed to perform oral sex on the boy. The documents also say he admitted serving alcohol to another teen boy, watching pornographic movies with him and at least once masturbating in the same room as the boy, but never touching him. Martinez's parents and multiple supporters all asked for leniency, saying Martinez, who has no prior criminal history, is a good father and is deeply religious. Defense attorney Andras Szantho argued that his client should not have to register as a sex offender, citing Martinez's progress in therapy and his record while on electronic monitoring since his arrest last November. A doctor who has been involved in Martinez's therapy testified that he is highly unlikely to reoffend and is learning about the issues that made him commit his crime. Deputy District Attorney Judy Reed said "the state strongly opposes a conditional discharge." Martinez said he would accept whatever sentence the court imposed and expressed remorse for his actions. "If there is anything I could do to stop all the pain I've caused, it would be to go back and change it, but I can't," Martinez said, adding that he had been cooperative with police and admitted to everything since his arrest. But state District Judge Michael Vigil said he's seen too many defendants make such claims disingenuously to take it at face value. "I don't know how much of that is motivated by you wanting to save your own skin and how much is you truly wanting to change who you are," Vigil said. He ordered Martinez to the state's Sex Offender Treatment Program, but made no promises about whether successful completion would allow him to dodge sex-offender registration laws. According to literature provided by the Las Vegas program, which Martinez does qualify for, "Most deviant sexual behavior is learned. It can be unlearned and replaced with socially acceptable behaviors." As part of the program, Martinez will be required to work, but he will have to reside at the Las Vegas facility, away from his own teenage daughters. He's already lost a $57,000-per-year job at the Eldorado Hotel in Santa Fe, his attorney said. After Martinez was arrested, church officials said they encouraged all members of the congregation who had any information about the allegations to cooperate with police. "Immediately as we became aware of this, we contacted the archdiocese [of Santa Fe] and police, along with the parents of the individual involved," said the Rev. Adam Lee Ortega y Ortiz. "What was [of] the utmost importance to me was the protection of our children. In my 18 years as a priest, this is the first time this has happened, and I take it very seriously." Ortega y Ortiz said Martinez, who was asked to turn in his keys to the parish and not take part in future church activities, was never at a church function without other adults present, and police say none of the allegations ever indicated misconduct on church grounds or at a church function. It is unclear how soon Martinez can enter the treatment program in Las Vegas. A date for his sentencing was not set Monday because there is not a specific time frame for completion of the program. Vigil delayed sentencing until after Martinez completes the program. Contact: ggrammer@sfnewmexican.com
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