SANTA ANA : Child Molester Gets 57-Year Sentence

Before being sentenced to 57 years in prison for molesting a young boy, an Orange County man defended his actions in court on Friday and told the judge that sex is often a “positive force” in a child’s life.

Superior Court Judge James A. Jackman gave the maximum penalty to Robert Edwin Martin, 41, convicted last month of committing 23 lewd acts with a 12-year-old boy from Garden Grove who viewed Martin as the father he never had.

“Mr. Martin must be separated from society for the maximum period permitted by law,” Jackman said during the sentencing. “It is clear to the court that Mr. Martin is a pedophile; he believes what he did was right . . . and he will continue preying on young boys.”

Shortly before that, Martin had told the court in a rambling and often incoherent speech that he considered his acts “sexual horseplay.” He further claimed to have discovered research concluding that “most youths who engage in sexual conduct have found it a positive force to help in discovering themselves. In some cultures it’s mandatory.”

Court records show that Martin has three prior convictions--a felony and two misdemeanors--for molesting and annoying children. He spent eight years in prison for molesting a young boy in San Luis Obispo and was paroled shortly before meeting the Garden Grove boy in 1989 at an amusement park.

The boy testified that Martin took him on camping and fishing trips and told him that sexual acts are normal between a father and son. He said that Martin threatened to hurt his mother and grandmother if he told anyone.

After the sentencing, the boy’s mother told reporters that she is still grappling with feelings of guilt for letting her son spend time with Martin. And, while pleased with the sentence Friday, she called for stricter laws for child molesters.