EspañolStephen Martinez, Culver City Youth Programming Employee, Allegedly Involved In Committing Lewd Acts With Child Under 14
CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA (September 11, 2025) – A former Culver City youth programming employee identified as Stephen Martinez was arrested on suspicion of child sexual abuse.
Los Angeles County officials are saying that the Culver City police were notified on July 7 about allegations against the defendant. Stephen Martinez is suspected of committing lewd acts with a child under 14.
Prior to being arrested, the defendant worked in youth programming for several different facilities. He also was a senior recreation leader for the Parks, Recreation and Community Services in Culver City.
City officials said that he was fired in June for an unrelated matter. They said that they will conduct an independent review to determine how similar incidents can be prevented.
Stephen Martinez has since been booked at the Culver City Jail. Police officers in the city are currently working to determine if there may be additional victims.
Liability for Los Angeles County Child Sexual Abuse
Public entities like schools and youth centers across Los Angeles County have a legal obligation to protect children from foreseeable sources of harm. This includes protecting them from sexual abuse at the hands of employees. Consider, for example, Taylor v. Oakland Scavenger Co., 17 Cal. 2d 594 [110 P.2d 1044], “It is the duty of the school authorities to supervise at all times the conduct of the children on the school grounds and to enforce those rules and regulations necessary to their protection.” There are several ways that a public entity may have acted negligently and facilitated abuse.
- Hiring and Background Checks: A facility may have failed to perform adequate background checks on a person who went on to abuse children.
- Negligent Supervision: A facility may have failed to adequately supervise children and allowed one-on-one interactions between those children and adults.
- Failure to Investigate: A facility may have failed to properly investigate or respond to signs that abuse is taking place.
By the time any city employee is arrested for child abuse, there were often numerous red flags that were missed. In many cases, perpetrators may have had numerous complaints against them. They may have also engaged in grooming and other forms of concerning behavior. Any person that is sexually abused by a city employee may be able to seek some measure of justice and accountability through a civil claim.
Preventing Child Sexual Abuse in Los Angeles County
There is a long history of children being sexually abused and exploited at city-run facilities across Los Angeles County. According to The Imprint, “Los Angeles County faced new allegations related to sexual abuse in its embattled juvenile detention facilities this week, the latest in a staggering tally of more than 5,000 adults who say they were abused as children in foster homes, shelters and probation-run camps and halls in recent decades.” City-run facilities should take several measures to prevent child sexual abuse.
- Comprehensive Training: All faculty at city-run facilities should be trained to identify signs that abuse is taking place. These facilities should understand the factors that contribute to sexual victimization and predation.
- Staffing Ratios: All city-run facilities should have adequate staff-to-child ratios so that children can be adequately supervised.
- Physical Environment: City-run facilities should work to identify isolated and unsafe areas where abuse is more likely to occur.
Sexual abuse is one of the most destructive and harmful things that most children will ever go through. Victims are often left with long-term trauma. This can manifest through anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Unfortunately, the facilities where abuse takes place almost never accept responsibility for what happened. This is why it is so important that these cases are properly investigated by a Los Angeles County child sexual abuse attorney.
Investigating Los Angeles County Child Sexual Abuse
We at the Carrillo Law Firm were deeply concerned by the allegations against Stephen Martinez. Any person who may have more information should reach out to the police. It is our sincere hope that steps are taken to prevent similar incidents down the road. Many questions remain unanswered at this time.
Have you or someone that you care about been sexually abused by a Culver City employee? You may have legal recourse. Our team of Los Angeles County child sexual abuse attorneys is here to help. We care deeply that victims of abuse are aware of their rights and that perpetrators are held fully accountable for their actions. Whether you just have legal questions or need any type of assistance, we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at 626-799-9375.
