An Oklahoma City man is behind bars after a 15-year-old runaway called her mother saying that the man was trying to prostitute her and another minor girl. The mother then called police, who responded to an apartment complex on North Pennsylvania Avenue.
Officers found the girl, who had run away on June 6, sitting outside an apartment. Inside, they found Kevin Alando Martin II, 29, and a 16-year-old girl. The younger girl allegedly told police that she saw Martin take money from another man in order to arrange for him to have sex with the 16-year-old.
Martin was arrested on several complaints related to the incident:
Martin is currently held in the Oklahoma County jail on $34,000 bond. The penalties he faces if charged and convicted of the above offenses are severe.
In general, contributing to the delinquency of a minor is a misdemeanor, but there are several cases in which it may be prosecuted as a felony. One of those cases is a second or subsequent charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. In 2009, Martin had a second degree rape charge amended to contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and he was convicted and given a one year sentence with six months suspended. Because this is the second instance of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, it is a felony punishable by a maximum of three years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
Harboring an endangered runaway is also a misdemeanor on the first offense, and as such, it carries a maximum penalty of one year in county jail and a $1,000 fine. A second or subsequent offense is a felony that carries the same penalties as a subsequent offense of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Lewd or indecent proposals or acts to a child under 16 is a much more serious offense. It is a felony sex crime that carries a sentence of 3 to 25 years in prison if the victim is aged 12 or older. It also mandates lifetime sex offender registration.
Offering or transporting a child for the purpose of prostitution is a felony punishable by one to 10 years in prison. Child prostitution is a level two sex offense that mandates 25 years of Oklahoma sex offender registration.
As of this writing, Martin has not been formally charged. It is important to note, however, that state law considers any minor under the age of 18 who is involved in child prostitution to be the victim of human trafficking. Penalties for trafficking in children are more severe than those for child prostitution. Click here to learn more about state and federal human trafficking laws.
