United States of America v. Joseph S. Martin and Christopher J. Heikkila

Phoenix, AZ - Arizona Man and U.S. Citizen Residing in Germany Sentenced for Sexual Assault



Two men were sentenced in the District of Arizona for the sexual assault of a 17-year-old girl in Landstuhl, Germany, in October 2013.



U.S. District Judge David G. Campbell of the District of Arizona sentenced Joseph S. Martin, 20, of Peoria, Ariz., to 96 months in prison, and Christopher J. Heikkila, 21, a U.S. citizen previously residing in Weilerbach, Germany, to 84 months in prison. In September 2015, a jury convicted the men of one count of sexual abuse and one count of abusive sexual contact each.



According to the evidence presented at trial, on or about Oct. 19, 2013, Martin and Heikkila sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl in Landstuhl while she was incapacitated after they had used social media to specifically target the victim and plan the assault. At the time, Martin and Heikkila were employees of the Army & Air Force Exchange Service on Ramstein Air Force Base in Ramstein, Germany, as well as dependents of civilian employees of the military, according to trial evidence. The Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act gives U.S. federal courts jurisdiction over felonies committed abroad by certain persons employed by or accompanying the U.S. military.



The Army CID and the FBI’s Phoenix Division and Washington Field Office investigated the case.



§2242. Sexual abuse



Whoever, in the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States or in a Federal prison, or in any prison, institution, or facility in which persons are held in custody by direction of or pursuant to a contract or agreement with the head of any Federal department or agency, knowingly—



(1) causes another person to engage in a sexual act by threatening or placing that other person in fear (other than by threatening or placing that other person in fear that any person will be subjected to death, serious bodily injury, or kidnapping); or



(2) engages in a sexual act with another person if that other person is—



(A) incapable of appraising the nature of the conduct; or



(B) physically incapable of declining participation in, or communicating unwillingness to engage in, that sexual act;



or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title and imprisoned for any term of years or for life.

Martin was sentenced to 96 months in prison and Heikkila to 84 months in prison.