Pueblo West man accused of threatening to “kill” young victim if they reported sexual assaults

PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) - KRDO13 Investigates is revealing how a Pueblo West man accused of sexually assaulting a child was tracked down by Pueblo County Sheriff's deputies. 47-year-old Lonnie Martin has been slapped with three felony charges: sexual assault on a child under 15, sexual assault as a person in a position of trust, and aggravated incest.

According to court documents obtained by KRDO13 Investigates, Martin is accused of forcing a child to perform sexual acts on him over a three-day period between May 17 and 19, 2024. This all occurred at his home in Pueblo West, along Buckboard Ave.

These actions came to the attention of the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office after a nurse at Penrose Hospital, who said a patient at the hospital claimed they were sexually assaulted by Lonnie Martin. A sexual assault examination was then completed at Parkview Hospital in Pueblo, court documents say.

A deputy then interviewed the victim and a family member who told them that Martin forced them to perform sexual acts on him, and touched them in numerous ways without their consent.

The alleged coercion continued with Martin forcing the young victim to get drunk with him to the point where the victim passed out one night and woke up with only sparse clothing on. Martin is accused of telling the victim "If you didn't notice, my body reacts to your body."

On multiple occasions, the young victim and their family member told the investigating deputy, and in a forensic interview with a member of the Pueblo Child Advocacy Center, that Martin threatened to "kill" the victim if the sexual acts were reported to law enforcement. Arrest documents say Martin admitted to the victim that he could go to jail for his actions, saying they were "against the law in all fifty states."

After attempting to reach Martin by phone without success, Pueblo County deputies went to his home with an arrest warrant. Court records say he was intoxicated and was hostile towards the deputies. Inside his house, they found a suicide note that stated, "The secret to life is death, break the cycle. The world is enslaved by numbers that don't matter."

After being taken into custody, Martin refused to be interviewed by deputies. Court documents say he was "throwing himself against the wall and door of the interview room." He was then booked into jail on three felony charges.

KRDO13 Investigates reached out to Martin's defense attorney for comment on these allegations. We are still awaiting a response at the time of publication.