The Wake County Sheriff’s Office announced that Jayson Martinez, 24, a Honduran national, has been charged with multiple counts of statutory rape involving a 12-year-old girl.
According to the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, deputies received a complaint in March regarding the sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl. Following months of investigation, authorities identified the suspect as Jayson Martinez, also known by several aliases including Jayson Martinez Mejia and Gaision Rodriguez. A warrant was issued in July, leading to his arrest in Cumberland County. Martinez faces one count of statutory rape of a child by an adult and two counts of statutory rape of a child under the age of 15. He remains held without bail at the Wake County Detention Center, with a magistrate citing his Honduran citizenship and prior violent criminal history in New Jersey.
According to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety’s 2024 statistics, there were over 1,500 reported incidents of statutory rape and sexual offenses involving minors statewide. Wake County accounted for approximately 7% of those cases, marking a steady increase compared to previous years. Officials attribute the rise in reports partly to improved awareness and mandatory reporting laws.
Nationally, the U.S. Department of Justice reports that approximately 67,000 cases of child sexual abuse are confirmed annually, with statutory rape constituting a significant portion of prosecutions under state criminal codes. Federal and local agencies continue to coordinate efforts through the National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW) and related enforcement partnerships.
The Wake County Sheriff’s Office, headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, provides law enforcement, detention, and civil process services to the county’s growing population. Founded in 1771, the agency is responsible for criminal investigations, courthouse security, and community outreach programs aimed at crime prevention. It remains one of the largest sheriff’s offices in the state, committed to maintaining safety and enforcing justice across Wake County.
