By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — A Silver Lake man was sentenced on Monday, Feb. 21, to nine years for molesting a child.

Antonio Martinez-Moyotl, 19, 1724 E. 1300S, Silver Lake was charged with child molesting, a Level 3 felony. Two other counts of child molesting, both Level 4 felonies, were dropped as part of a plea agreement.

Antonio Martinez-Moyotl

Martinez-Moyotl was sentenced in Kosciusko Superior Court 1.

In the case, according to a probable cause affidavit, a police officer spoke with a woman who said her child was molested by Martinez-Moyotl.

Safe Harbor Child Advocacy Center conducted an interview with the child who said Martinez-Moyotl inappropriately touched them and engaged in sexual conduct with them while knowing how old they were.

The child also stated that Martinez-Moyotl inappropriately touched them on another occasion while knowing how old they were.

Martinez-Moyotl later confirmed to a detective that he inappropriately touched the child and engaged in sexual conduct with them on more than one occasion while knowing the age of the child.

Before Kosciusko Superior Court 1 Judge Karin McGrath sentenced Martinez-Moyotl on Monday, the victim’s mother gave an impact statement.

She read a letter that her child had written. In it, the child described how they have “flashbacks” from the incidents.

“I hope you get everything you deserve,” the child added in the letter.

The child’s mother noted that the child is battling anxiety, depression and PTSD as a result of what happened.

The woman said her child “will never forget this.”

“I cannot improve (further) on the statement,” said Deputy Prosecutor Joe Sobek after the fact.

Defense Attorney John Barrett asked McGrath to consider Martinez-Moyotl’s previous lack of criminal history and that he was “remorseful for his conduct.”

He also mentioned Martinez-Moyotl’s age, noting that his brain hadn’t fully developed yet at the time of the incidents.

“I don’t know that he’s thinking in a way that an adult would think,” Barrett said.

McGrath later sarcastically remarked that if there were numerous 18- to 19-year-olds in the community with undeveloped brains molesting children then the community “is in desperate straits.”

She sentenced Martinez-Moyotl to nine years in the Indiana Department of Correction with one year suspended to be served through probation.

She gave him one day of jail credit. Martinez-Moyotl is register as a sex offender and maintain no contact with the victim.

As Martinez-Moyotl was being escorted away after the sentencing, a woman in the courtroom in support of him burst out into tears.