Rodolfo Martinez-Guevara, a priest based in Long Beach, California, was charged on September 13, 2023 for possession of child pornography, according to the Ventura County Prosecutor’s Office. The 38-year-old priest was found to be in possession of “over 600 images of child sexual abuse material, including images and videos of prepubescent minors under the age of 12.”
Martinez-Guevara had been a resident at the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit in Long Beach. Through his work with the missionary, he established ties with various churches, including Our Lady of Guadalupe in Oxnard. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles released a statement after the arrest, stating that Martinez-Guevara is not affiliated with the Archdiocese. According to them, his affiliation is with the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit Religious Order, though he was given “faculties to minister in the archdiocese.”
The Archdiocese stated that Martinez-Guevara has been removed from ministry, which will prevent him from victimizing more children in the future. However, we have to consider the possibility that the priest’s conduct went beyond possessing sexually explicit materials involving children. In most of these cases, we find that there has been a long history of sexually inappropriate conduct, and unfortunately, many victims lived with the horrible secret for many years.
Were you or someone you know sexually abused by Rodolfo Martinez-Guevara or another member of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Oxnard? We encourage you to contact us and find out about the legal options that are available to you. Our goal is to advise you of your rights and let you decide for yourself if taking legal action is in your best interest. To speak with a Catholic Church sexual abuse attorney, contact the offices of Normandie Law Firm.
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What We Know So Far
Not much is known about this case so far, but it’s been announced by the Ventura County Prosecutor’s Office that their investigation began after “several reports” were made to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Investigators linked Martinez-Guevara with hundreds of images of child pornography, mostly of pre-pubescent boys.
The Ventura County Child Exploitation & Human Trafficking Task Force placed the priest under arrest on September 13, and his bail was set at $750,000. In his statement, District Attorney Erik Nasarenko stressed that these were not just images and videos. “Rather…they constitute horrific exploitation of our most vulnerable, and the actions of the defendant must be met by the full force of the law.”
We are in full agreement with the District Attorney and will be keeping a close eye on this case to see if Martinez-Guevara is charged with any other acts of child sexual abuse and exploitation. However, we also have to think about other entities that may be involved, like the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit Religious Order and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
Suing for a Case of Sexual Abuse by a Priest
Right now, Martinez-Guevara has only been charged with possession of child pornography. But it’s very possible that he has committed acts of sexual abuse against children while he was working in various churches as a Catholic priest. Within Catholic communities, priests are respected and beloved leaders, and their authority is rarely questioned, even by adults. Thus, it’s easy for a sexual predator to take advantage of a child, sometimes for years, without anyone finding out.
However, many of the clients we have helped over the years did report incidents of sexually inappropriate conduct to other priests, nuns, Catholic school teachers, and other adults. Sadly, many of these adults ignored their cries for help. Alternatively, they would bring the complaint to high-ranking officials at the Archdiocese, who should have contacted the police and left the investigation up to the authorities. Instead, accusations were often buried, priests were moved around from one diocese to another, and more child victims were left in their wake.
Again, it remains to be seen if Martinez-Guevara will be charged with anything beyond possession of sexually explicit material involving minors. But if he is, it’s likely that the organizations he worked for had knowledge of those incidents. That means they can be sued by the victims in a lawsuit for child sexual abuse, along with Rodolfo Martinez-Guevara. We have seen this countless times with lawsuits against the Catholic Church by adult survivors of sexual assault by a priest.
At the end of the day, you have rights and legal options as a victim of sexual abuse. If you would like to learn more about the process of suing for sexual abuse during childhood, don’t hesitate to contact us.
Average Value of a Childhood Sexual Abuse Lawsuit
Claims involving the sexual abuse of a minor are associated with high settlement values, typically in the 6 to 7 figure range. The majority of settlements exceed $1,000,000, and this is largely based on the victim’s emotional harm and suffering. If the case goes to trial, the plaintiff may be awarded punitive damages if negligence by the defendant was particularly outrageous or malicious. In this type of situation, it’s not unusual to see awards of $3,000,000 or more, though it’s worth noting that most cases are settled before the trial date.
Ultimately, the value of a child sexual abuse lawsuit is based on numerous factors that are personal to the victim and how they’ve suffered as a result of what was done to them. What you are entitled to from a claim against the church is an issue we will need to discuss during a free, private consultation.
What is the Time Limit to File a Lawsuit?
Under California’s Assembly Bill-218, those who were sexually abused as a minor have 22 years from the time they turn 18 to file a lawsuit against the responsible parties. Essentially, this means you have up until the age of 40 to seek monetary damages if you were abused by a Catholic priest.
There is another standard you can use when it comes to lawsuits for child sexual abuse. In some cases, it can take many years for the victim to be fully aware of what has happened to them. Or, the victim may not be diagnosed with certain health conditions, including mental health disorders, until they are well into adulthood. Under AB-218, you can file a compensation claim within 5 years from discovering the physical / mental effects of childhood sexual abuse.
If you’re wondering which of these dates you should go by, the answer is easy: whichever date comes later. This way, you have as much time as possible to demand justice from the people that failed you. However, it’s best to speak with a California sexual abuse lawyer right away, who can help you gather evidence and build a solid case.
Reaching a Settlement – How Long Does it Take?
Sex abuse cases are incredibly complex, and even more so when they involve incidents during childhood that may have happened many years ago. This is often the case with sexual abuse claims against Catholic priests. It’s no secret that the Church engaged in cover up attempts to preserve their reputation, while putting countless children at risk as offending priests were moved from one Archdiocese to another.
As a result, reaching a settlement in these cases may take up to several years. This is particularly true if the case goes to trial, though we can assure you that childhood sex abuse claims are almost always settled out of court. However, our job is to ensure that victims receive a fair amount of compensation, based on how these incidents have impacted their lives. Achieving that goal is likely to take 1 or more years, though settlements can sometimes be reached within a few months.
It’s important to have a sense of the legal process and the factors that can affect the timeline to settle a lawsuit for sexual assault. For more information from a lawyer with experience in childhood sexual abuse cases, contact our law firm.
Free Second Opinion
Accusations of child molestation and other acts of child abuse have plagued the Catholic Church for many years, and we know that there are countless victims who are still seeking justice for what they went though. It doesn’t help if the victim’s attorney lacks the experience, communication skills, and dedication that’s needed for such a complex legal action. If you are in this situation, you may be wondering about the steps you can take to get your case back on track. A second opinion consultation is an easy solution to this problem, which we can offer you here at Normandie Law Firm.
This is a free service, with no obligation to switch your lawyer. However, if you decide to continue your lawsuit with us, the transfer process will be taken care of by our legal team at no cost to you. If you would like to schedule a free second opinion on your Catholic Church sex abuse lawsuit, please give us a call.
Contact Our Law Firm
Frankly, we know that there is no amount of money that can make up for a case of sexual abuse during childhood. However, it’s impossible to deny the toll that these incidents take on the victim’s life, and monetary damages can go a long way towards helping them move forward. Furthermore, criminal prosecution may be impossible in many of these cases, meaning that a civil lawsuit is the only way to bring justice to an adult survivor of child sexual assault.
Of course, only you can decide for yourself if filing a lawsuit is the right choice. But you will need advice from an experienced attorney before you can make such an important decision. That’s why we would like to offer you a free case evaluation regarding your rights and legal options.
We are a contingency-based law firm, so there is no out of pocket cost to you at any point. Our payment comes at the end of your case, when we deduct a percentage of your settlement to cover our expenses. In addition, we offer a Zero Fee Guarantee from day one, so you won’t need to worry about any legal fees in the event we don’t win your case.
Our legal team is here for you day and night, so please contact us if you were sexually abused by Rodolfo Martinez-Guevara or any other priest working for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
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