Pastor sexually abused teen girl and threatened her not to tell, Oklahoma cops say

An Oklahoma pastor accused of sexually abusing and threatening a teen girl has been arrested and charged, police said.

The girl reported in May that the Tulsa pastor, identified as Matthew Martinez, was sexually abusing her, according to an Oct. 4 Facebook post from the Tulsa Police Department. The abuse included kissing and groping her, police said, and he threatened her not to tell anyone.

An investigation into her report found that the man had “inappropriate behavior” with the girl for three years, starting when she was 15, police said.

Detectives said Martinez, who worked as an associate pastor at a local church, began texting the girl in Fall 2020 as a tutor.

“The messaging became more personal and the in-person contact became more physical – touching her hands and feet at first before putting his hand up her skirt multiple times and touching her chest,” police said in the news release. “The victim said Martinez would make her touch him as well.”

Investigators found thousands of text messages between the pastor and the girl, some of which included Martinez sending messages with “sexual hypotheticals,” according to the news release.

A warrant for Martinez was issued Sept. 28, and he was arrested Oct. 2, police said. He is charged with two counts of sexual battery.

The Tulsa Police Department said the man is no longer affiliated with the church or school connected to the incident. Police are not naming the church to protect the identity of the girl.

This story was originally published October 4, 2023 at 1:27 PM with the headline "Pastor sexually abused teen girl and threatened her not to tell, Oklahoma cops say."