What did Rodolfo Martinez-Guevara do? Charges against Long Beach priest explored

On Thursday, September 14, Los Angeles news outlets reported that priest Rodolfo Martinez-Guevara had been arrested for having more than 600 images and videos of child p*rnography in his possession. According to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office, 38-year-old Martinez-Guevara was a member of the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit, as well as multiple other churches.

Reportedly, the suspect's large collection of child p*rn depicts boys under the age of 12 taking part in inappropriate activities.

Trigger warning: This article concerns child abuse. The reader's discretion is advised.

According to KTLA, authorities detained Rodolfo Martinez-Guevara on Wednesday, September 13. Upon searching his home, authorities determined he may have had over 600 illicit photos in his possession. Officials have not confirmed whether he has been accused of abusing any children connected to the churches he worked with.

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"These are not simply images and videos": The investigation into Rodolfo Martinez-Guevara began in April 2023

According to the District Attorney's Office, they received several calls that implicated Rodolfo Martinez-Guevara in collecting illicit material depicting young children. Multiple anonymous sources allegedly complained about the priest to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

CBS noted that in April 2023, the Ventura County Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force (VCCEHTTF) also began to investigate Rodolfo Martinez-Guevara. On September 12, 2023, they raided his home at the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit in Long Beach. There, authorities were shocked to find hundreds of photos.

As claimed by District Attorney Erik Nasarenko, the illicit media depicted a series of disturbing acts against very young children.

"As a priest, the defendant is in a position of tremendous power, authority and trust. The alleged crimes deeply violate that trust and involve a disturbing number of (...) images of young boys," Nasarenko said.

He continued:

"These are not simply images and videos. Rather, if found true, they constitute horrific exploitation of our most vulnerable, and the actions of the defendant must be met by the full force of the law."

In a separate statement, the prosecutor's office discussed how the vast majority of the victims were young boys. Authorities believed that it was possible that the suspect may have had further victims.

“Investigators determined Martinez-Guevara was allegedly in direct possession of over 600 images and videos depicting child sexual abuse material – involving mostly boys," the prosecutor's statement read.

After his arrest, Rodolfo Martinez-Guevara was held on a bond of $750,000. As the investigation is ongoing, authorities have urged anyone with further information on the disgraced priest to come forward. At the time of writing, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has neither commented on the allegations nor discussed their involvement in the probe.

As per official reports, the investigation involved the joint efforts of the Ventura County District Attorney's Office, the Ventura and San Bernardino County sheriff's departments, and the Ventura and Oxnard police departments.