Yuma — The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO) is releasing the following information pursuant to Community Notice ARS 13-3825 on the Sex Offenders Act. The perpetrators of this publication live within Yuma County. It is the responsibility of the Supreme Law Enforcement Agency, which has jurisdiction over the area where the offender resides, to notify the community. Notice must be given when certain sex offenders are released from Arizona state prisons, accepted under interstate agreements, or released from county prisons to the community. Criminals fall into her three levels: Level 1 (low risk to the community), Level 2 (medium risk to the community) and Level 3 (high risk to the community).

The person featured in the notice, Alonso Martinez, 49, has been convicted of a sex offense and is available for community notice. Alonso Martinez told YCSO that he lives at 10650 South Emerald Avenue in Yuma, Arizona. He is described as being 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighing 210 pounds, and having dark hair and brown eyes. At this time he is not wanted by the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office.

On July 29, 2008, Martinez pleaded guilty in Yuma County Superior Court to one count of soliciting a minor for sexual exploitation and one count of attempted solicitation of a minor for sexual exploitation. Martinez was sentenced to 10 years in prison by the Arizona Department of Corrections. The victim was a 13-year-old female acquaintance.

Alonso Martinez is considered a Level 3 sex offender with a high risk of recidivism.

This notice is not intended to incite fear. Rather, we believe that an informed community is a safer community. YCSO has no legal authority to dictate where sex offenders may or may not live. Unless a court-ordered restriction exists, this criminal is constitutionally free to live wherever he chooses. It is unacceptable for citizens to use this information to threaten, intimidate, or harass sex offenders. Sex offenders live in our community all the time. But Megan’s law allows law enforcement to share this information with you.

YCSO would like to remind the public about registered sex offenders and community notification program OffenderWatch. To sign up for free email alerts or search for sex offenders in your area, visit the YCSO OffenderWatch page.

If you have information about current criminal activity involving this or other criminals, please call the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office at (928) 783-4427.