(FL)
Hernando Sun [Brooksville, FL]
July 16, 2024
By Hernando Sun staff
A teenage girl from New York who was visiting family in Brooksville reported to deputies that her step-grandfather, William Martinez, 55, touched her inappropriately and forced her to touch him.
Martinez is a pastor at Kingdom of Hope Ministries in Weeki Wachee.
After hearing of the incident, the teen’s mother informed the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office.
While her grandmother was at a doctor’s appointment, the teen said that Martinez gave her a drink that tasted funny and a THC gummy, which made her tired. He then proceeded to touch her. Blood and urine tests confirmed the presence of alcohol and THC in her system.
Detectives executed a search warrant at Martinez’s home and collected forensic evidence. Martinez denied the allegations made by the victim.
He was arrested on two counts of Lewd and Lascivious Behavior of a Victim over 12, and less than 16 and two counts of Sexual Battery Familial/Custodial of a Victim over 12, and less than 16. He remains at the Hernando County Jail and has a $300,000 bond on all counts. Conditions of the bond include no victim contact, no contact with anyone under the age of 18, GPS monitoring.
Martinez has a criminal record and served 20 years in prison for armed robbery, trafficking in cocaine, providing false name to law enforcement, possession of cocaine with intent to sell, possession of crack cocaine, criminal impersonation, criminal possession of firearm, and other felonies in New York and Florida.
His arraignment hearing will take place on Aug. 12 before Judge Stephen Toner Jr.