Oklahoma City police officer arrested a second time in molestation case

Police Sgt. Maurice Martinez was arrested about 1:45 a.m. in a traffic stop at SE 44 and Sooner Road, police Capt. Patrick Stewart said. Martinez was pulled over as he was driving to a meeting that, unbeknown to him, had been set up by investigators.

Police accuse Martinez of buying the boy a bus ticket to Utah and arranging for him to stay with people Martinez knew.

Martinez has not been charged, but Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater said he anticipates filing “numerous, numerous” felony counts against Martinez. Prater said the officer also could face federal charges.

“There has been a significant improvement in the case against Mr. Martinez,” Prater said Friday.

Prater said police have information that Martinez made threats against people who are potential witnesses against him.

“I'm going to suppose they had surveillance on him,” Martinez's attorney, Irven Box, said Friday. “I believe they may have had wiretaps on the phone. There is some explanation of why he was doing what he was doing that I can't reveal at this time.”

Martinez resisted police as they tried to arrest him, and an officer used a Taser once to get him under control and restrain him, Stewart said. One of Martinez's adopted sons, a runaway from Department of Human Services custody, was with Martinez but ran from police. The teen called 911 from Del City later in the night after getting cold and is now back in state custody.

Two phone calls, one to 911, on Thursday evening were the catalysts in a fast-unfolding sequence that led to Martinez's arrest and the recovery of the runaway teenagers, Stewart said.

Martinez, 44, was first arrested Jan. 19 at his southeast Oklahoma City home after a teenage boy told confidants at church Martinez sexually abused him.

Police found hundreds of pornographic images of young males in states of undress, in a search of Martinez's home, according to court documents.

All of Martinez's foster and minor adopted sons were taken into state custody in January but two ran away, police said. The other runaway was reported as being back in state custody shortly afterward.