Washoe County District Attorney’s Office Secures Guilty Verdicts

Releases Results of Two Sexual Exploitation Cases

Washoe County District Attorney Chris Hicks announces that two Reno residents have been found guilty of Attempted Abuse or Neglect of a Child Involving Sexual Exploitation and Soliciting a Child for Prostitution, following trials in District Court.

Jesus Martinez, age 32 and Sabino Rosales, age 49 were both arrested in connection to an undercover operation the Regional Human Exploitation and Trafficking (HEAT) unit ran in October of 2020 in collaboration with the FBI. The goal of the operation was to address the intentional purchase of sex from minors using websites known to facilitate prostitution transactions.

During the operation, 28 individuals were arrested and charged, including Martinez and Rosales. At this time, 15 of the 28 defendants have pled guilty and been sentenced.

The case against Martinez began in September of 2020, when Martinez contacted an undercover officer posing as a 17-year-old girl through a known escort website. After being clearly and explicitly advised that he was speaking to a 17-year-old female child, the defendant continued to communicate and arrange to pay the believed child for sex.

In the case against Rosales, he also responded to an advertisement posted on a known escort website and arranged to pay an officer posing as a 16-year-old girl for sex. In December 2022, only a few months prior to trial, Rosales was again arrested by the HEAT unit after he once again responded to a prostitution advertisement and arranged to pay an undercover officer for sex.

Both men contacted the undercover officers after finding the online advertisement on a known website for prostitution.

At trial in both cases, Deputy District Attorney Darcy Cameron presented the testimony of the undercover officers as well as transcripts of the communications exchanged, which clearly proved both Rosales and Martinez specifically intended to pay a minor for sex.  

Sentencing for Rosales is set for May 15, 2023. Sentencing for Martinez is set for June 12, 2023.