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Livingston man arrested for sex acts with pre-teen
martinez-herminio
Hermino Martinez
A 26-year-old Livingston man is under arrest on suspicion of child molestation.
Hermino Martinez is suspected of having sexual relations with a 12-year-old Winton girl he considered his girlfriend, according to the Merced County Sheriff’s Department.
Martinez was arrested Monday afternoon in the 2900 block of Olive Avenue in Atwater. Martinez thought he was on his way to meet the 12-year-old girl, but instead found Detective Alex Barba and Deputy Ralph Zyskowski waiting for him, said sheriff spokesman Deputy Tom MacKenzie. Martinez had made arrangements to meet the girl at his aunt’s house in Atwater.
The alleged molestation came to light Sunday night when the 12-year-old admitted to her family that she had snuck out of her home to see her “boyfriend,” Martinez.
The family had reported her missing to the sheriff’s department, MacKenzie said.
The family called the sheriff’s department the next day to report the crime.  According to Zyskowski the “relationship” had been ongoing for a couple of months before family members found out about it.
After an initial investigation, Barba discovered that Martinez had been having sexual relations with the 12-year-old victim for the past few months. He is still investigating allegations that Martinez had been “seeing” the girl for over a year — since she was 11, MacKenzie said.
Martinez was booked into Merced Jail and remains on $250,000 bail.
To contact Sabra Stafford, e-mail sstafford@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2002.