Priest Rodolfo Martinez-Guevara charged with felony possession of child pornography
VENTURA, Calif. – Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced on Thursday that Rodolfo Martinez-Guevara, a priest in the Archdioceses of Los Angeles, has been charged with felony possession of child pornography.
According to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office, Martinez-Guevara allegedly possessed over 600 images adn videos of child sexual abuse material, including images and videos of prepubescent minors under the age of 12. That amount of material qualifies Martinez-Guevara for a special allegation of Aggravated possession of child pornography charge.
“As a priest, the defendant is in a position of tremendous power, authority and trust,” said Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko. "The alleged crimes deeply violate that trust and involve a disturbing number of sexual images of young boys. These are not simply images and videos. Rather, if found true, they constitute horrific exploitation of our most vulnerable, and the actions of the defendant must be met by the full force of the law.”
As a member of the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit, Martinez-Guevara is associated with several churches, including Our Lady of Guadalupe in Oxnard relay Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
According to Ventura County District Attorney's Office, Martinez-Guevara became the focus of investigation by the Ventura County Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force (VCCEHTTF) after several reports were made to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
That Ventura-based Task Force began its investigation of Martinez-Guevara in April of 2023 and that investigation revealed he was allegedly in possession of the over 600 images and videos depicting child sexual abuse material detail Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
On Sep. 12, the Ventura County Superior Court issued a warrant for the arrest of Martinez-Guevara and the next day he was taken into custody by VCCEHTTF in Long Beach relay Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
According to Ventura County District Attorney's Office, search warrants were also served at the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit in Long Beach where Martinez-Guevara lives and is adjacent to St. Maria Goretti Church and Catholic School.
Investigators with the Task Force believe there could be additional sexual abuse survivors and anyone with information regarding Rodolfo Martinez-Guevara is urged to contact their local police department to file a report detail Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
Arraignment for Martinez-Guevara is scheduled for Sep. 15 of this year at 9 a.m. in courtroom 12 of the Ventura County Superior Court relay Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
According to Ventura County District Attorney's Office, Martinez-Guevara is currently being held in custody with bail set at $750,000.
