Former police officer accused of meeting minor for lewd purposes appears in court

Tulare County prosecutors only called three witnesses for the preliminary hearing of former Porterville Police Officer Wayne Martin.

The first was the Tulare County Sheriff's deputy that found Martin and an underage police explorer in a vehicle north of Porterville last September.

They then called two sheriff's detectives who later interviewed the alleged victim - who was 17 at the time.

She told Detective Jeff Miller she met Martin at their spot, spoke outside, and then went inside a car with him, where she took her top off and he touched and kissed her.

She said the touching had happened two or three times before, including a couple of weeks before the last incident.

Detective Jessica Vieyra added that the alleged victim told her Martin had given her several things, including a glass bottle containing poems, a handwritten note, and a silver necklace.

Shortly after his arrest, Martin resigned from the Porterville Police Department.

In 2018, he had been promoted to the rank of sergeant and been named 'officer of the year' by the Porterville Exchange Club.

He was also the supervisor of the explorer program.

"He's dealing with a lot of emotions right now because of all this happening in his life," said Jeffrey Boggs, Martin's attorney. "But the bottom line is we're dealing with it and working through it."

The Tulare County District Attorney's Office has charged Martin with three felony counts of meeting a minor for a lewd purpose.

On Thursday, a judge ruled there was enough evidence to move forward to trial.

But Martin's attorney says he's exploring all options for a settlement.

"We've discussed it with the district attorney's office," Boggs said. "They've been gracious enough to give us that at least."

Martin is out of custody now, but if convicted of the charges, faces up to six years in prison.