Man gets five years for improper photos of his daughter
By Nick Hiltunen
Published in News on February 29, 2008 2:00 PM
A Goldsboro man will serve up to five years in prison after being convicted on three counts of sex offenses with his young daughter a decade ago, Wayne County Superior Court officials said.
Glenn Martin Jr., 55, was found guilty Thursday of molesting his daughter, now in her teens.
Assistant Prosecutor Terry Yeh said in closing arguments that county social services workers failed to report the incident in a timely manner, which allowed almost a decade to lapse before Martin's indictment and trial.
Authorities said lewd photos of Martin and his young daughter were found taped under a drawer in Martin's former home that he shared with his wife. The jury determined that one of the photos constituted using a minor to make obscenity.
Martin gave up parental rights to his daughter several years ago, and she was taken into adoptive custody as Martin began a prison sentence for another crime.
State corrections records show that Martin had a scheduled release date last September. He had been serving time for drug possession, forgery and passing worthless checks. His last sentence was a conviction on a charge of being a habitual felon, records show.
Outside the courtroom before the jury first began deliberating, Martin's sister Annie Rose held her brother close as they sat in metal folding chairs near a defunct metal detector, their foreheads touching one another.
"I want you to know that you're my hero. Did you know that?" Mrs. Rose said to her brother as tears rolled down their faces. "You could have taken a plea bargain, but you know you didn't do it."
Later, Mrs. Rose said that Martin was a good person and a good father who was trying to straighten out his life.
"It's going to be what it's going to be, and it is what it is, and it's sad. It's very sad," Mrs. Rose said before the jury returned with its verdict.
Maintaining his innocence before the verdict, Martin said he feared his prison sentence.
"They want my life. They want my life," Martin said as he was embraced by his sister and his two adult sons stood nearby.
Goldsboro attorney Geoff Hulse, representing Martin, argued that his impending release date was the reason for bringing up the new charges.
Hulse said Martin lived with his wife at the time the photographs were taped under a drawer at the couple's home.
"There were two people in this home -- two adults in this home. Mr. Martin says he doesn't recall them (the pictures) being there." Hulse said in closing arguments. "You've got to be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that he's the illegal one, the dastardly one."
Many of the pictures showed a loving relationship between Martin and his daughter, Hulse said.
"I argue to you that pictures like that ... are not patently offensive," Hulse said.
Hulse told the jury that some of them could easily have similar photos of their children at home.
Assistant D.A. Yeh said that although both Martin and his biological daughter loved one another, abuse could still have occurred.
"I think we can all agree that there are lots of degrees of love. People can be mistreated and still love the person that mistreated them. If you're married, you know what I'm talking about. You can feel wronged and still love the person that did it to you," she said.
Ms. Yeh contrasted Martin's professed love of his daughter with actions he took in her presence.
"I loved her so much, I chose heroin over her. I loved her so much that we exposed her to drug paraphernalia in our home. I loved her so much that I had her in the car when I got pulled over by the police with one of my drug buddies. ... and I got on that stand and I called her a liar. That's how much I loved her."
The adoptive mother of Martin's daughter said she did not much care if Martin received a sentence, she was simply glad that her daughter got to speak.
"I am just glad that ... (she) finally had her voice," she said. "The Martins were raised as children who didn't have a voice. They were seen and not heard, they didn't speak unless spoken to. And those days are long gone."