Man sentenced for watching 6-year-old in portable toilet at Larimer County Fair

Sady Swanson, Fort Collins Coloradoan
·3 min read

Editor's note: This article references sexual crimes against children. Resources for sexual abuse victims have been included.

A man arrested for watching a child urinate in a portable toilet at last year's Larimer County Fair has been sentenced, and county officials say they are continuing to expand on existing efforts to make the fair safe and welcoming.

Carlos Martinez, 33, was sentenced this month to 10 years of sex offender intensive supervised probation after previously pleading guilty to invasion of privacy for sexual gratification, a Class 6 felony.

Martinez was arrested Aug. 7 after Larimer County Sheriff's Office investigators say he cut a hole in a portable toilet stall at the Larimer County Fair and watched a 6-year-old child urinate, according to a news release from the 8th Judicial District Attorney's Office. Investigators found that a total of five portable toilet stalls at the fair had holes cut in them.

Following his arrest, investigators say Martinez admitted to viewing pornography and masturbating in the portable toilet stall, according to the news release.

“The sentence secures a high level of accountability for a Class 6 felony, ensuring the defendant will be under the highest level of supervision for a long period of time, best ensuring long-term community safety and will face resentencing if unsuccessful,” 8th Judicial District Attorney Gordon McLaughlin said in the news release. “We are thankful to our Special Victim Unit team who worked closely with the victim and their family on this resolution and finding them closure on a traumatic crime.”

As part of his sentence, Martinez is required to serve 60 days of work release, undergo sex offense-specific treatment and register as a sex offender, according to the news release.

Conor McGrath — the director of The Ranch Events Complex in Loveland where the Larimer County Fair is typically held — told the Coloradoan the security team at The Ranch and the Larimer County Sheriff's Office "has a number of existing efforts in place to support a safe, family-friendly environment" during the fair, and as the county grows they plan to "continue adapting to the needs of our community and incorporating best practices into our event security operations."

The visible presence of law enforcement on foot and on bicycle during the fair proactively deter criminal activity, Larimer County Sheriff's Office Special Events and Operations Lt. Brad Harkin said in an email to the Coloradoan. In this case, deputies proactively patrolling the fair noticed Martinez "leaving the area quickly and contacted him due to his suspicious behavior," Harkin said.

"Without this recognition and quick action by deputies, identifying this suspect later would have been extremely difficult, if not impossible," Harkin said.

Undersheriff Joe Shellhammer told the Coloradoan it is key for the sheriff's office to have good relationships with the community so people feel comfortable in reporting suspicious behavior.

The Larimer County Fair is typically held in early August, with this year's fair scheduled to run Aug. 2-6.

Resources for sexual abuse victims

The SAVA Center provides crisis intervention, advocacy and counseling for those affected by sexual abuse in Northern Colorado, as well as prevention programs through community outreach and education.

  • Fort Collins location: 970-472-4204

  • Loveland location: 970-775-2962

  • savacenter.org

ChildSafe supports child and adult victims of childhood abuse, and provides support for those victims' non-offending family members.

The Crawford Child Advocacy Center works to prevent child abuse by providing services to help caseworkers and investigators stop perpetrators, protect victims, and support survivors and their families.

Estes Valley Crisis Advocates provides a variety of free and confidential services to survivors of crimes and traumas.

SummitStone Health Partners provides counseling for psychological, emotional and behavioral problems; domestic violence and sexual abuse victims; and drug and alcohol problems. They offer individual, group and family therapy.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Man sentenced for watching child in portable toilet at Larimer County Fair