Man gets suspended sentence in risk of injury case

LITCHFIELD » The defense called them “lost souls.”

Jeremy P. Martin, 22, of New Hartford, pleaded guilty to a charge of risk of injury to a minor Friday in Litchfield Superior Court.

Back in 2015, he had a relationship with a then14-year-old girl, in which the two had sexual intercourse, according to an arrest warrant. He was arrested Oct. 30, 2015, and charged with two counts of second-degree sexual assault and two counts of illegal sexual contact with a victim under 16, according to court records. The charges were reduced to risk of injury with a plea deal.

The victim’s father initially contacted a local police department after learning of a relationship between Martin and his daughter, according to the affidavit.

Martin spoke with police, but his testimony is not described in the affidavit.

The daughter told others whose testimony is recounted in the affidavit that she loved Martin, and Martin, according to Facebook messages recounted in the affidavit, told her that he loved her on at least one occasion.

State Attorney Terri Sonnemann told the court Friday that the state had protected the victim appropriately with this sentence, and that the victim’s mental health was the primary concern.

“(The victim) continues to try and heal,” said Sonnemann.

“This is a case where two lost souls essentially bonded, and they became friends before they became anything else,” said defense attorney Corrie-Ann Mainville.

Both Martin and the victim, Mainville said, have mourned the loss of the relationship between them.

“This was poor judgement by a young man who followed his heart instead of the law,” said Mainville.

Martin said he hoped to move on from the incident.

“I recognize that my actions were wrong, and hopefully I can move on in a positive way,” said Martin.

The court had concluded that Martin was not a risk to the community as a potential sex offender, Judge Kari Dooley said.

“This was truly a unique case,” said Dooley, however, she said she is satisfied the process itself has been rehabilitative.

Martin was given a sentence of five years, entirely suspended, with five years probation.