Hesperia, California - Maple Elementary School Janitor Pedro Martinez Charged with Sexually Abusing 2 Students

Hesperia School Janitor Charged with Sexual Abuse

Last Update: 7/13/2020

A janitor at Maple Elementary School in Hesperia was arrested on January 22 and charged with sexually abusing a boy at the school. Authorities also charged the janitor, 45-year-old Pedro Martinez, with an additional count involving a second victim when he appeared in court on January 25.

According to the authorities, both of the victims are boys under 10 years of age. Officials also believe that there may be additional victims. Martinez has worked at Maple Elementary since 2005.

Martinez has been charged with five felony counts involving two boys under the age of 10, including charges of lewd acts on a child, sodomy, oral copulation, and kidnapping. His bail has been set at $1 million.

He is accused of taking boys into a classroom during the school’s lunch break and abusing them there – sometimes in groups. This abuse allegedly went on for several months. He is also accused of physically abusing the victims.

Legal Recourse for Survivors of Sex Abuse by School Employees

Attorney contributor Jason Amala represents sexual abuse survivors, helping them find the answers and financial compensation they deserve. As you may expect, he’s previously investigated claims dealing with students sexually abused by school janitors. He had the following info to share on the subject.

“While many of us grew up being warned of ‘stranger danger,’, the sad reality is that many sexual predators are people who are trusted and who regularly interact with children in their daily life. We regularly see this in cases involving abusers who work in education, medicine, religion, and other fields that involve positions of trust and authority. This is why it’s absolutely critical that our schools take preventative measures to ensure that kids are safe from the threat of sexual predators,” Bobby explained.

Mr. Amala continued, “For example, schools could conduct background checks before hiring new employees or allowing anyone to volunteer with the school. This can help ensure that no one with a history of sexual misconduct is permitted to work at the school. Other preventative measures can be taken in order to reduce the risk of abuse, such as forbidding staff members to spend one-on-one unsupervised time with students.”