A California man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 10-year-old child, who disclosed the abuse to a teacher, in McHenry County.
Arturo Martinez-Ortiz, 59, of Riverside, California, was charged in December 2023 with two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, indecent solicitation of a child and aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a child.
A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court said Martinez-Ortiz committed an act of sexual penetration against a child who was under the age of 13 from December 10, 2021, to December 13, 2021.
The complaint said Martinez-Ortiz also made inappropriate contact with the child at least twice.
Court documents said the child was 10 years old at the time of the incident and that Martinez-Ortiz told the child not to report the crime.
The child came forward in September 2022 and disclosed the abuse to her teacher, prosecutors said.
The Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS) was notified, a report was made and the matter was referred to the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office for investigation.
A victim-sensitive interview was conducted at the Child Advocacy Center where the child further revealed specific details of the abuse and identified Martinez-Ortiz as the suspect who had sexually abused and assaulted her, prosecutors said.
Martinez-Ortiz entered into a negotiated plea deal with the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office this week.
He pleaded guilty to one count of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, a Class X felony, in exchange for a 10-year sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
McHenry County Judge Tiffany Davis approved the plea agreement.
McHenry County State’s Attorney Randi Freese said she commends the victim for her courage to report the abuse, the child’s educators for creating a safe environment for her to disclose what had happened and the investigative efforts of the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office.
Martinez-Ortiz has been held in the McHenry County Jail since his arrest. He will receive credit for 212 days spent in custody.
The prison sentence will be served at 85% in accordance with truth-in-sentencing guidelines and Martinez-Ortiz will be on mandatory supervised release for a minimum of three years upon release, up to natural life.
He will also be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.