United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that Canku Martinez, a 22-year-old from Mission, South Dakota, has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for aggravated sexual abuse and kidnapping. The sentence was delivered by U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte on January 21, 2025.
Martinez will also serve 15 years of supervised release following his prison term and is required to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2024 and found guilty after a four-day jury trial in October 2024.
The incident occurred on October 29, 2023, when Martinez offered a juvenile victim a ride home from a party near Rosebud, South Dakota. Instead of taking her home, he drove her to an isolated area outside Rosebud and made unwanted sexual advances. When the victim resisted, Martinez threatened her with a knife and forced her into sexual activity. He later dropped her off at her residence with instructions not to disclose the incident. The crime took place within the Rosebud Indian Reservation.
“Bringing this defendant to justice is the result of tremendous cooperation between federal and tribal law enforcement,” stated U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “Mr. Martinez engaged in a despicable course of conduct in this case and subjected the victim to unthinkable sexual violence. The sentence he received today reflects the seriousness of his crimes.”
This prosecution was part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. The program combines resources from federal, state, and local agencies to prosecute offenders and rescue victims.
The investigation was conducted by Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the FBI, with Senior Litigation Counsel Kirk Albertson handling prosecution duties.
Martinez has been remanded into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.