Fresno police arrest man on felony sex-crime charges involving minor

Fresno police arrested Nellinger Lopez Martinez, 29, on felony sex-crime charges involving a minor and booked him into the Fresno County Jail with bail set at $60,000. Records show he was taken into custody at 1:21 a.m. Tuesday, May 27, and entered the jail at 7:47 a.m.

The charges listed are serious and broad: oral copulation with a minor, contact with a minor with intent to commit a sexual offense, sexual penetration by force or fear, and possession of obscene material involving a minor for sexual purposes. Police said they would not provide additional details because of the nature of the case, a common approach in investigations involving minors, where investigators try to protect a child’s privacy and preserve evidence.

The complaint does not say what led to the arrest, whether Martinez knew the minor, or whether other victims may exist. Those questions will shape the next phase of the case as it moves through the Fresno County court process, where the allegations must be tested and any formal prosecution will depend on the evidence gathered by investigators.

The arrest also lands in a region where child-exploitation cases have drawn sustained attention from local and federal authorities. The Fresno County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office said Operation Creeper Ban, conducted June 9 through 13, 2025, led to 15 arrests tied to child sexual abuse material and attempts to meet a child for sex. In December, Operation Naughty or Nice resulted in 21 arrests on similar allegations. In both operations, the sheriff’s office said thousands of CyberTip reports came in each year through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and that the Central California ICAC Task Force remains a recurring enforcement tool in those cases.

For families worried about a child’s safety, Fresno County’s Child Protection Hotline is 559-600-8320. The county says social workers are on duty 24 hours a day, and that calls received at night, on weekends and on holidays can be forwarded to standby social workers in life-threatening situations. Survivors and family members seeking crisis support can also reach Rape Counseling Services Fresno at 559-222-7273, and United Way’s 211 line can connect residents with local services. California’s Megan’s Law website offers public information to help communities protect themselves and their children, while the state sex offender registry tracks more than 120,000 offenders statewide. If parents suspect abuse, the safest step is to report it directly to law enforcement or child welfare officials, share only what they personally observed, and avoid posting identifying details about the child online.