Rafaela Martinez, L.A. County Probation Officer, Arrested for Sex With Minor Inmate

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Los Angeles County Probation Officer Rafaela Martinez Arrested for Sex With Jailed Youth

Los Angeles County Probation Officer Rafaela Martinez Arrested for Sex With Jailed Youth

Mar 12, 2024

The Los Angeles County Probation Department has announced the arrest of a female officer over accusations of having sex with an incarcerated youth.

The officer was not identified in the department’s initial statement, but her March 7 arrest was confirmed along with the following charges:

  • Having sex with an inmate
  • Arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd purposes
  • Bringing contraband into a jail

The Los Angeles Times later identified the suspect as 51-year-old Rafaela Martinez. The Times confirmed the officer’s identity via a law enforcement source who asked to remain anonymous due to not being “authorized to speak with the media.”

Additionally, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department booking records show a person by the name of Rafaela Martinez having been arrested for a felony last week. Martinez was assigned to detention services, the Los Angeles Times later confirmed through a copy of the department’s roster.

Martinez is accused of engaging in an ongoing sexual relationship with a jailed boy. The allegations surfaced after a contraband phone was discovered at the Dorothy Kirby Center in Commerce, California.

KTLA reported that the seized phone revealed communications “between the officer and a [incarcerated] boy,” including some which occurred while the woman was on duty. In a press release, the Probation Department confirmed that photos and texts “… that are sexual in nature” were also obtained.

“Information supported by a warrant led investigators to communications between the detained youth and Probation Officer,” the probation department’s statement read. “Some of these communications appeared to have occurred while the employee was at work and there were photos that are sexual in nature.”

The Los Angeles County Probation Department did not issue any further comment and reportedly declined information requests from the L.A. Times.

The arrested female officer is also accused of bringing a prescription medication bottle into a jail facility.

Investigators reportedly seized “a prescription pill container with different types of pills in varying quantities,” probation department officials said.

According to jail records, Rafaela Martinez is being held at the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, California. No additional bail or court information is currently available.

How Often Does Sexual Misconduct Happen in Los Angeles County Youth Detention Centers?

The arrest of probation officer Rafaela Martinez is one of at least two sexual misconduct cases currently being investigated by county officials, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Earlier in 2024, a youth being held at Los Padrinos detention facility claimed that a female officer he met while in custody tried to initiate “a romantic relationship with him after he was released in late 2023,” two sources with “direct knowledge of the situation” reportedly told the Los Angeles Times.

The sources asked for anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly,” the Times added.

Citing a “strict policy of confidentiality regarding personnel matters, including instances of misconduct,” the probation department refused to comment further to the L.A. Times.

However, Pamela Johnson, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office, told the Times in February 2024:

“We are aware of a similar allegation that is under investigation but has not been presented to this office for filing consideration.”

Sources told the Times that the alleged sexual misconduct incident involving the Los Padrinos officer was reported to the California Department of Justice.

A settlement with the probation department was reportedly entered into in 2021 to “mandate reforms to the troubled agency,” the Los Angeles Times reported.

Wave of Lawsuits Filed After Sexual Abuse Allegations Surface at Camp Joseph Scott Los Angeles County Juvenile Detention Center

In 2022, a lawsuit was filed against at least 10 Los Angeles County probation officers and staff members over troubling allegations of sexual abuse which reportedly took place from 1996 through 2008 at Camp Joseph Scott – a Santa Clarita juvenile detention facility which closed in 2020.

The sex abuse survivors who filed the complaints were minors at the time of the incidents, and allege that they were subjected to various types of sexual violence, including:

At the time of the alleged abuse, Camp Scott incarcerated females aged 12 to 18.

A report from Los Angeles Times noted that the specific violations of the female juvenile camp inmates outlined in the lawsuit included:

  • Watching them shower
  • Unwanted touching
  • Forced sex acts

“In at least one case, a deputy probation officer is accused of impregnating a teenager, court documents show, while another staff member continued to victimize a different girl even after she was released, meeting her at a motel for sex,” the Los Angeles Times reported in 2022.

Contact a Los Angeles Attorney for a Free Female Probation Officer Sexual Assault Case Review

California civil lawsuits for childhood sexual abuse, probation officer sexual assault, and incarcerated youth sexual violence can be filed with Dordulian Law Group (DLG) in an effort to seek justice and financial compensation for victims and their families.

Civil claims can be filed to recover compensatory damages for sex crimes committed by adults – whether male or female – against children.

Some common damages that can be obtained through a civil claim for California child sexual abuse or assault include:

  • Counseling or therapy costs
  • Emotional trauma
  • Psychological distress
  • Lost Wages
  • Loss of earning capacity
  • Diminished Quality of Life
  • Pain and suffering
  • Hospital or medical expenses

DLG is one of the top-rated and leading California-based sexual assault firms that represents survivors throughout the United States. We provide survivors of youth detention center sexual abuse with a unique type legal representation that includes a four-tiered group of professionals known as the SAJE Team.

DLG’s experienced child sexual abuse lawyers specialize in all types of sex crimes claims. We are led by Sam Dordulian, a former sex crimes prosecutor and Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County who has obtained life sentences against sexual predators and helped many survivors obtain maximum financial damages awards – many exceeding multimillion dollar figures.

Our Sexual Assault Justice Experts are here to help survivors secure justice. Contact our top-rated attorneys online or by phone for a free consultation today.

Contact our Los Angeles youth detention and probation center sexual abuse lawyers today for a free and confidential consultation by calling 866-GO-SEE-SAM.

Author

Samuel Dordulian

Samuel Dordulian, founder

Sam Dordulian is an award-winning sexual abuse lawyer with over 25 years' experience helping survivors secure justice. As a former sex crimes prosecutor and Deputy District Attorney for L.A. County, he secured life sentences against countless sexual predators. Mr. Dordulian currently serves on the National Leadership Council for RAINN.




Go See Sam