CT woman who told child to ‘remain silent’ about sexual abuse gets 18 months in prison
A woman has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after police say she told a young child who was the victim of multiple sexual assaults not to tell anyone about the abuse.
Erica Martins, 37, faced sentencing Thursday in New Britain Superior Court, where a judge ordered she serve three years of probation once she is released from prison, court records show.
The sentencing came after she pleaded guilty in November to one felony count of risk of injury to a minor, according to court records. In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dropped one count of second-degree hindering prosecution.
Martin’s attorney, Jeffrey Kestenband, did not immediately return a request for comment Friday.
According to court records, Martins was arrested by members of the Berlin Police Department in December 2020. The arrest came about a month after Berlin investigators arrested 36-year-old Tyson James on one count of first-degree sexual assault, two counts of fourth-degree sexual assault and three counts of illegal sexual contact.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit in the case, authorities believed James sexually assaulted a girl multiple times in 2018 and 2019, when the victim was 5 and 6 years old.
Investigators believe Martins knew about the abuse and witnessed it, the warrant affidavit said. Not only did she fail to report it, but she also told the girl not to tell anyone, police wrote.
According to the warrant affidavit, police began investigating the allegations against James in early 2020. The victim told a social worker that he touched her inappropriately and had her touch him in an inappropriate manner, the warrant affidavit said.
The girl said that James would offer her snacks in exchange for the things they allegedly did together, the warrant affidavit said. She also said she was told she would be taken away from her family if she told anyone about what happened.
According to the warrant affidavit, police believe Martins told the victim to “remain silent” about the abuse.
The relationship between Martins, James and the victim was not made clear in the warrant affidavit.
James was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison last March after pleading guilty to one count of risk of injury to a minor. His prison term will be followed by three years of probation, court records show.