Joseph S. Martin and Christopher J. Heikkila, Sexual Assault, Arizona 2015
TWO ARIZONA MEN SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT IN GERMANY
Two men were sentenced today in the District of Arizona for the sexual assault of a 17-year-old girl in Landstuhl, Germany, in October 2013.
The victims were specifically targeted and planned the assault through social media, according to trial evidence presented in court. Joseph S. Martin, 20, of Peoria, Arizona, and Christopher J. Heikkila, 21, a U.S. citizen previously residing in Weilerbach, Germany, were found guilty of one count of sexual abuse and one count of abusive sexual contact each.
U.S. District Judge David G. Campbell of the District of Arizona sentenced Joseph S. Martin to 96 months in prison, and Christopher J. Heikkila to 84 months in prison, for their roles in the sexual assault.
The Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act gives U.S. federal courts jurisdiction over felonies committed abroad by certain persons employed by or accompanying the U.S. military. The Army CID and the FBI’s Phoenix Division and Washington Field Office investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorneys Christine Duey and Michael Sheckels of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph E. Koehler of the District of Arizona prosecuted the case. HRSP Special Counsel Stacey Luck provided substantial assistance.
The case demonstrates the U.S. government's commitment to holding accountable those who commit crimes abroad, especially when those crimes involve vulnerable victims.
Key Facts
- State: Arizona
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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