A 23-year-old El Paso County firefighter was arrested and charged with two counts of sexual assault of a child and one count of indecent contact with a child. He allegedly met the victim on Instagram and engaged in sexual contact with her on three occasions between May and September 2026.
Andrew Michael Martinez Jr.El Paso County firefighter, arrested and charged
El Paso County Emergency Services District No. 2former employer
The facts
Martinez was booked at El Paso County Downtown Jail Wednesday on two counts of sexual assault of a child and one count of indecent contact.12Stated by 2 sources
Martinez allegedly met the victim on Instagram and initially claimed to be 19 years old.12Stated by 2 sources
The victim told officers she was 14 when they met and later told Martinez she was 16.12Stated by 2 sources
The alleged assault occurred on three occasions: May 30, June 13, and September 26, 2026.12Stated by 2 sources
El Paso County Emergency Services District No. 2 confirmed Martinez no longer works there as of Thursday.2
Who said what
These are statements and claims made by the people involved. They are reported, not verified.
Martinez He believed the victim was 18 years old and they started dating in August.2
Martinez He denied engaging in sexual activity with the victim and denied knowing she was under 18 when they exchanged nude photos.2
Where the sources disagree
Victim's age when they met 14 years old per [1,2]
Martinez's claimed age to victim Initially 19 per [1,2]; Actually 23 per [1,2]
How they headlined it
The same event, as each outlet put it. Marked words appear in only one outlet's headline.
El Paso County firefighter arrested for alleged sexual assault of teen he met online
These outlets were found through Google News headlines. Google decides which outlets appear there, and they lean mostly one way, so this sheet can only be as balanced as the reporting it was built from. Leanings are AllSides Media Bias Ratings.
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