PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A convicted sex offender who got out of prison just last year after nearly 20 years behind bars faces three new sexual assault charges for allegedly targeting immigrants who were not in the U.S. legally, Providence police say.
Juan Martinez, 55, hired women for cleaning services and sexually assaulted them, Providence police Detective Maj. David Lapatin said Tuesday.
Martinez thought women who were not legal residents of the U.S. would not report him.
“He would threaten them, ‘I’ll call police,’” Lapatin said.
The first alleged assault occurred in October, but police did not have enough evidence to arrest him until Monday when another woman came forward to say he had assaulted her at his apartment. Police think there may be other victims.
Martinez was held without bail at his arraignment Tuesday. He did not enter pleas and no defense attorney was listed in court records. He was referred to the public defender’s office.
Martinez was sentenced to serve 25 years in prison on 2001 for sexually assaulting a woman. He was released in March 2020 with time off for good behavior, prisons officials said.
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