LATHROP, Calif. — Lathrop Police Services reported in a Facebook post a man arrested in the service's undercover sting operation was convicted of seeking sex with a minor.
Mario Francisco Martinez, 41, contacted an undercover officer who he believed to be a 13-year-old girl. Police reported Martinez spoke graphically and arranged to meet with the officer. When he arrived, he found Lathrop police conducting an undercover sting operation.
Lathrop police were targeting adults seeking to engage in sexual acts with minors in 2020.
According to Lathrop Police Services, most arrests stemming from these types of undercover operations result in a plea bargain between the arrested party and the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office. But for Martinez, there was a trial that started on Jan. 28.
On Feb. 5, the jury found Martinez guilty of contacting a minor for a sexual purpose and arranging a meeting with a minor with the intent of engaging in sexual acts.
Further sentencing is pending. Lathrop Police Services said Martinez would need to register as a sex offender.
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