Former L.A. Archdiocese priest pleads no contest to possession of child pornography

A former Catholic priest with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has pleaded no contest to possession of child pornography and several related special allegations, authorities said.

Rodolfo Martinez-Guevara, 39, who was a member of the archdiocese at the time of the allegations, admitted to possessing over 600 images of child sexual abuse material, including images and videos of children under the age of 12, the Ventura County district attorney’s office said in a news release Thursday.

Martinez-Guevara, who was a member of Missionaries of the Holy Spirit, was also associated with several churches in the Southern California region, including Our Lady of Guadalupe in Oxnard, authorities said.

“The defendant betrayed the law and the trust placed in him as a religious leader,� Dist. Atty. Erik Nasarenko said in the release. “Child sexual abuse material preys on the most vulnerable members of our society, and we will continue to ensure that anyone who engages in such heinous crimes is held accountable, no matter their position or title.�

Dozens of reports made to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children prompted the investigation of Martinez-Guevara, authorities said. The Ventura County Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force also launched its own investigation in April 2023.

He was arrested Sept. 13, 2023.

Martinez-Guevara is expected to be sentenced Dec. 9 in Ventura County Superior Court.