A former Nowata Middle School teacher was sentenced Wednesday for Coercion and Enticement of a Minor in Indian Country and Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor in Indian Country.
26 year old Kenneth Martinez of Bartlesville, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release. Upon his release, Martinez will also be required to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, Martinez began communicating with a student at Nowata Middle School during the 2021-2022 school year. He started coercing and enticing the student through messaging apps. The messages eventually became sexual in nature. On several occasions, Martinez's abusive sexual contact happened in a classroom with the student.
Martinez is not Native American. The student is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and the crimes occurred within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation. Martinez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.
The FBI and Nowata Police Department investigated the case.
