Miguel Martinez, who also uses the name Michelle, was convicted of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old inside a bathroom. (Natrona County Detention Center)
Miguel Martinez, a transgender in Wyoming now known as Michelle, was convicted Thursday of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl inside a bathroom. A 12-person jury found Martinez guilty of first-degree and second-degree sexual abuse of a minor and now faces up to 70 years in prison.
The Billings Gazette reported the once-family friend invited the girl into the bathroom on March 23, touched her breasts and genitalia before penetrating her. The girl told her mother immediately after the assault, who reported it to the Casper Police Department.
The Casper Star Tribune reported the young girl told police “it hurt inside” after the sexual assault. Nurses at the Wyoming Medical Center performed a sexual assault exam on the minor and found redness and abrasions around the girl’s genitalia.
According to court documents, Martinez was drunk on the night of the assault and a breath test showed he had a blood alcohol concentration of .218, which is nearly three times the legal limit.
When police initially questioned him about the assault, Martinez became “noticeably hostile and defensive” and said the girl was “talking crap.” He denied denied the accusations and called them a “publicity stunt.”
Martinez pleaded not guilty on both counts.
