MAN ARR FOR CHILD MOLEST S.S.

A WATSONVILLE MAN HAS BEEN ARRESTED ON CHARGES OF ALLEGEDLY MOLESTING SEVERAL TEENAGE GIRLS. FORMER APTOS HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELOR?S AIDE, STEVEN MONTEZ MARTINEZ IS BELIEVED TO HAVE MOLESTED THE GIRLS IN THE EARLY TO MID 1990?S, WHEN THEY WERE BETWEEN 13 AND 16 YEARS-OLD. MARTINEZ ALSO REPORTEDLY WORKED AS A PASTOR AT THE NOW-DEFUNCT NEW JERUSALEM CHURCH IN WATSONVILLE. THE INVESTIGATION OF HIS PAST BEGAN AFTER 2 YOUNG WOMEN TOLD POLICE THEY HAD BEEN MOLESTED YEARS EARLIER.

MARTINEZ, WHO IS PRESIDENT OF THE PAJARO VALLEY CHAPTER OF THE CALIFORNIA SCHOOL EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION, WORKED FOR THE PAJARO VALLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT FROM OCTOBER 1989, UNTIL JULY OF THIS YEAR.