COWETA, Okla. — Chad Martin faces five felony charges, including child abuse, child sexual exploitation, and forcible sodomy involving his 14-year-old adopted daughter, according to court documents.
Three fire departments responded to the blaze at Martin's home the evening of July 8. Coweta Fire officials said the fire was accidental but declined to share specific details about the cause.
The criminal case against Martin began on June 5, when Coweta police responded to a call about a suicidal person who had possibly been sexually assaulted, according to an affidavit from Wagoner County Courts.
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During the investigation, officers reported speaking with a friend who made the initial call, stating he was friends with the 14-year-old victim, and that she was being sexually abused by her father, Chad Martin.
That reporting person shared screenshots of sexually charged text messages between the victim and Martin, which gave investigators reason to request a search warrant for Martin's phone.
The phone search revealed multiple nude or partially nude images of Martin's younger adopted children, and several of the victim, according to court documents.
This discovery led officers to obtain a search warrant for the Martin home, where Coweta police called in the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to help collect biological evidence.
The affidavit reports that a DHS agent told CPD that the victim said in an interview that when she and Martin had sexual contact, she would wipe her hand on the carpet under the bed in the guest bedroom.
During the search, investigators found cameras installed in the daughter's upstairs bedroom and bathroom, according to the affidavit. All devices were confiscated from the home.
Officers also obtained a search warrant for Martin's wife, Elaina's phone, which she provided willingly to investigators.
After officers left the home following the search, the affidavit states Elaina contacted police about a conversation she said she had forgotten about.
In text messages between the couple, Chad allegedly admits to "having sex" with their daughter, but claims he was manipulated by the teenager and was scared.
The officer recommended eight charges.
The victim told investigators the abuse began about a year ago when she was 13-years -old and continued "almost daily," according to court records. At the start, Martin would have been 45-46 years old.
She was taken to Wagoner County Hospital for a forensic examination as part of the investigation.
Martin was arrested July 3 on a $150,000 bond and bailed out three days later, court records show.
His arraignment is scheduled for next month.
The charges against Martin include:
- Two counts of felony child abuse
- Two counts of felony child sexual exploitation
- One count of felony forcible sodomy
Martin's arraignment is scheduled for August 5.
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