Man sentenced to 35 years for impregnating child

West Columbia, S.C. (WOLO) — A West Columbia man has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for sex crimes against a minor. Judge R. Knox McMahon sentenced 24-year-old Martin Rodriguez to 35 years in prison after a Lexington jury found him guilty of criminal sexual conduct with a minor in the second and third degree. The Lexington County Sheriff‘s Department began an investigation on in September of 2013, when The Sheriff and DSS were notified that an 11-year old child was being treated at a local crisis pregnancy center. The child victim gave birth to the child in April of 2014, Sheriff deputies collected DNA sample from both the child victim and the infant for DNA analysis. DNA samples from Rodriguez, the child victim, and the infant were submitted to the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) Department of DNA Analysis for paternity testing. A SLED forensic scientist notified the Sheriff‘s Department that the results of the DNA analysis and paternity testing determined the probability of paternity by Rodriguez was 99.99%. As a result, Rodriguez was arrested on May 20, 2014 and charged with criminal sexual conduct with a minor. The child victim, now age thirteen, testified during the trial and identified Rodriguez as the perpetrator of multiple incidents of sexual assault committed against her during the Spring and Summer of 2013 in Lexington County. The case was prosecuted by Eleventh Circuit Senior Assistant Solicitor Suzanne Mayes and Assistant Solicitor Micah Caskey who said, “The facts of sexual assaults and impregnating an 11 year old child were revolting and disgusting.” Photo courtesy of SCDC.