United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that Canku Martinez, a resident of Mission, South Dakota, has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for aggravated sexual abuse and kidnapping. U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte delivered the sentence on January 21, 2025.

Martinez, aged 22, will also face 15 years of supervised release following his prison term and must pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

The case originated when Martinez was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2024. A jury found him guilty after a four-day trial held in October 2024.

The incident occurred in the early hours of October 29, 2023. Martinez offered to drive a juvenile victim home from a party near Rosebud, South Dakota but instead took her to an isolated area outside Rosebud where he made unwanted sexual advances. When rejected, Martinez brandished a knife and forced the victim into sexual activity before dropping her at her residence with instructions not to disclose the events. The crime took place within the Rosebud Indian Reservation.

"Bringing this defendant to justice is the result of tremendous cooperation between federal and tribal law enforcement," stated U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. "Mr. Martinez engaged in a despicable course of conduct in this case and subjected the victim to unthinkable sexual violence. The sentence he received today reflects the seriousness of his crimes."

This prosecution was part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse since May 2006. It brings together resources from various levels of government to prosecute offenders and rescue victims.

The investigation was conducted by Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services along with the FBI, while Senior Litigation Counsel Kirk Albertson handled prosecution duties.

Martinez has been remanded into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.