A former Tulare County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) sergeant assigned to the South County Detention Center allegedly tried and failed to record a female officer of the Porterville Police Department as she used the facility’s bathroom in the spring of this year, according to court records.
Michael Martins, the former deputy, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment on September 22.
Sergeant Tried to Destroy Evidence, Report Says
A statement of probable cause filed April 4, 2025 with the District Attorney’s Office alleges former Tulare County deputy Michael Martins admitted attempting to film a female officer of the Porterville Police in a state of partial undress when she visited a staff bathroom at the Porterville South Valley Detention Facility where Martins worked
The alleged victim is identified as PM in court documents. Martins is also said to have admitted trying to destroy evidence of the crime.
According to officials with the sheriff’s office, Martins resigned from his position within hours of being accused and is no longer employed by the county.
“In March 2025, Martins, an employee of the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, resigned during an investigation into allegations that he placed a recording device in a staff restroom accessible only to TCSO and other law enforcement personnel,” TCSO spokesperson Ashley Richie said via a text message. “The case was investigated and subsequently referred to the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office for review of potential criminal allegations.”
The incident took place on March 27, and the TCSO report to the District Attorney’s Office is dated eight days later on April 4.
Martins was notified by mail four months after that two charges were filed against him in Tulare County Superior Court by the DA’s office. A letter dated August 21 stated Martins faced a pair of misdemeanor charges: unauthorized invasion of privacy, and destroying or concealing evidence.
Martins pleaded not guilty in an arraignment on September 22. An upcoming court date for a pretrial conference is scheduled for October 27 at 8:30am in Department 15 of the South County Justice Center in Porterville.
Secret Camera Hidden in USB Charging Device
An investigator’s report signed by TCSO Deputy Gregory May described the events that allegedly took place at the detention center on March 27.
May’s report said PM, the Porterville officer and Martins’ alleged victim, was at the South County Detention Center that day to book an arrestee into the facility. While she waited for a warrant from another jurisdiction to arrive, PM remained in the facility’s Intake Office. There, she entered a single-occupant unisex staff bathroom, and noticed what looked like an unused USB charger plugged into a wall socket.
“She saw what appeared to be a lens near the USB port,” May wrote. “She unplugged the device and exited the bathroom. She confronted the on-duty sergeant, Michael Martins, regarding the device.”
Martins took the device into his office.
“Martins entered the sergeant’s office and was alone with the device for approximately one minute,” May wrote. “Officer (redacted) later learned the device had a slot for a memory card. At that time, it did not contain a memory card.”
Investigators say sergeant admitted guilt
A review of security video by detectives revealed Martins entered the bathroom briefly about one minute before the alleged victim entered it.
“He enters the bathroom for only a few seconds before he walks away from the door,” May’s report stated. “While she (PM) is in the bathroom, Michael Martins is seen passing by the bathroom door more than once.”
Another TCSO officer, identified in the report only as Deputy Duran, said he used the same restroom earlier in the day and did not see the recording device at that time. Nothing, he told investigators, was in the socket.
Martins, however, later admitted placing the spy device then later removing the memory card when confronted, May’s report states. Martins later attempted to destroy the card, the report said.
“Martins was later interviewed and ultimately admitted to placing the hidden camera in the bathroom,” May wrote. “He said he broke the memory card and threw the memory card on the ground prior to returning to the South County Detention Facility and placing the device in evidence.”
May concluded that Martins targeted the female officer.
“Based on the video and statements from the parties involved, Michael Martins placed the hidden camera in the facility’s bathroom with the intent to secretly video tape Officer (redacted) while she was disrobed and as she used the bathroom.”
Martins resigned from the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office during the investigation.
TCSO condemns former sergeant’s alleged wrongdoing
The TCSO’s official statement on the behavior of Martins condemns his alleged illegal behavior.
“This conduct was reprehensible and does not reflect our core values of integrity, honesty, and respect for the law,” the statement said. “The case was investigated and subsequently referred to the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office for review of potential criminal allegations.”
The device Martins apparently left in the bathroom was in place only a short while. The bathroom was reserved for staff members only, and not accessible by the public.
“Investigators reviewed surveillance footage and determined the device was in place for only a few minutes before being discovered,” the statement said. “Upon examination, it was found that the device did not contain an imaging chip.”
The statement did not mention that Martins allegedly removed the device’s storage chip before destroying it. TCSO said the Porterville officer was the only victim, and their statement reiterated that the public had no access to the area where the alleged crime took place.
“As soon as we learned of the device, we immediately initiated an investigation, which identified Martins entering the restricted area,” the TCSO statement said. “No members of the public were ever at risk, nor did any other personnel enter the area before the device was discovered.”
Martins also defendant in TCSO federal sexual harassment case
This is not the first time Martins has been accused of similar misconduct. A case currently pending in federal court accuses Martins and several other TCSO high-ranking officers of a wide variety of misconduct, including incidents of sexual harassment. The TCSO is also accused of maintaining a “law enforcement gang” among its deputies in that case.
In a prior Voice report about the lawsuit, Sheriff Mike Boudreaux strenuously denied those allegations.
“As the Sheriff of Tulare County, I take all claims of harassment or discrimination seriously and understand how they may impact those involved. That is why each claim of harassment or discrimination is sent to the Human Resources and Development Director for review and investigation, with which I provide my full cooperation,” Boudreaux told the Voice. “While I believe the factual allegations stated in the complaint are misleading, I am confident that a thorough review of the facts will demonstrate that I adhere to my commitment to maintaining a respectful and professional environment for everyone.”
Specifically, Martins is accused of viewing an inappropriate photo of another staff member during work hours. That incident allegedly took place in January 2022.
Martins is also accused of making unwelcome sexual comments to a fellow TCSO officer, Jordan Frick, in front of coworkers. He is also said to have shared an “inappropriate” photo of a female staff member with other officers while on duty. Frick was apparently the subject of the inappropriate photo.
Frick was demoted from sergeant to deputy in 2022 after an internal affairs investigation that accused her of using inappropriate language. The investigation was allegedly spearheaded by Sgt. Marco Martinez and Martins, who are accused of previous inappropriate sexual advances toward her, the federal suit states.
In April, two of the TCSO officers named as defendants in the case – Martinez and Sgt. Gilbert Rodriguez – attempted to have the matter dismissed. The judge denied the motion, and the case is ongoing.