Man convicted of sexual assault of 13-year-old

A Havre jury convicted a Honduran national who was in town working construction of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl.

But the jury June 22 acquitted Javier Martinez, born in 1996, of unlawful restraint.

Martinez is in the Hill County Detention Center awaiting sentencing scheduled for Aug. 22 at 1:30 p.m.

Martinez drove to the Havre Community Skate Park Oct. 14 to meet with the girl, she told investigating police officers. The two had previously communicated on Facebook.

The charging document says that Martinez was working construction in Havre. Martinez, 19 at the time, told the girl he was 17. She was 13 but told him she was 14.

The documents says that, while in his pickup at the park, the girl said she wanted to stay with her friends at the park. Martinez slammed her door shut and drove her outside the city limits to Saddle Butte.

Friends of hers corraborated that Martinez slammed the door to his truck and sped off with the girl in it.

Martinez pulled onto the side of the road and began to touch the girl inappropriately. The girl told Martinez to take her back to the park and protested his touching her.

The document says officers noticed bruising around the girl’s chest and swelling around her lip area.

Martinez told officers that he met with the girl at the park and she asked him to drive them around so they could talk,the document says. He admitted to having kissed her one time.

Martinez said he hadn’t had sex with the girl. The girl didn’t accuse Martinez of having sex with her, only of touching her.