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A former Culver City employee has been arrested for allegedly sexually abused a child under the age of 14, police said Thursday.
Police arrested 43-year-old Stephen Martinez on Wednesday. Stephen Martinez previously worked in youth programming at various facilities and parks. Since June 2020, Martinez has served as the city’s senior recreation leader for parks, recreation and community services. Authorities said they were fired last month on unrelated matters.
Culver City Police received notice of allegations on July 7, including alleged perverted conduct with a child under the age of 14. Police immediately began an investigation when they received the report, officials said Thursday.
Martinez was booked at Culver City Jail on Wednesday.
“PRCS (Parques, Recreation, Community Services) and the Culver City Police Department are actively working to contact parents and guardians of children who may have contacted suspects both in the past and present through urban programming,” Prime Minister Jason Sims said in a press release Thursday.
The Culver Police Department has arrested the suspect in connection with an investigation into sexual abuse involving former employees of the city’s Parks, Recreation and Community Service (PRCS) department.
Culver City Police have been noticed by allegations that include suspected suspicions… pic.twitter.com/9G074ibo0q
– Culver City PD (@culver_citypd) July 17, 2025
The city said it would leave independent experts to review and recommend changes to Culver City’s background checks, interview process, safety protocols and training.
All employees in the city’s Parks, Recreation and Community Services departments have undergone background checks and comprehensive interviews and said they are trained on safety protocols established at the time of employment each year.
Police can contact community members with concerns about their child’s interaction with Martinez at 310-253-6302 or email ryan.thompson@culvercity.gov.
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