Priest With Ties to Oxnard Charged with Felony Possession of Child Pornography

District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced that Rodolfo Martinez-Guevara 38-a-year-old-priest in the Archdioceses of Los Angeles, has been charged with felony possession of child pornography. It is further alleged that Martinez-Guevara possessed over 600 images of child sexual abuse material, including images and videos of prepubescent minors under the age of 12.

“As a priest, the defendant is in a position of tremendous power, authority and trust,” said District Attorney Erik Nasarenko. “The alleged crimes deeply violate that trust and involve a disturbing number of sexual images of young boys. These are not simply images and videos. Rather, if found true, they constitute horrific exploitation of our most vulnerable, and the actions of the defendant must be met by the full force of the law.”

A member of the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit, Martinez-Guevara is associated with several churches, including Our Lady of Guadalupe, in Oxnard.

Martinez-Guevara became the focus of an investigation after several reports were made to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. In April 2023, the Ventura County Child Exploitation & Human Trafficking Task Force initiated an investigation of their own. Investigators determined Martinez-Guevara was allegedly in direct possession of over 600 images and videos depicting child sexual abuse material – involving mostly boys.

On September 12, 2023, the Ventura County Superior Court issued a warrant for Martinez-Guevara’s arrest. The next day, he was located in Long Beach and taken into custody without incident by members of the Task Force. Search warrants were also served by the Task Force, with the assistance of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, at the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit in Long Beach, where Martinez-Guevara resides. This is adjacent to St. Maria Goretti Church and St. Maria Goretti Catholic School.

Investigators believe there could be additional victims. Anyone with information regarding Rodolfo Martinez-Guevara is urged to contact their local police department to make a report.