LEE COUNTY, Fla. — The Lee County Sheriff's Office has arrested one of their own.
Now former deputy Zacahary Martinson is charged with several counts of child abuse, among other charges.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said the crime was reported to them on Jan. 28. When the Special Victims Unit investigated, detectives learned Martinson beat a woman he lived with, multiple times, with young children around.
Investigators then learned Martinson committed abuse against three children, too. Detectives say Martinson threatened violence toward at least one of his victims via electronic means.
According to the warrant given to Fox 4, the abuse took place between Jan. 22 and Jan. 23. The threat, the report says, happened on Jan. 27.
On Feb. 3, Martinson turned himself into the Lee County Jail, according to deputies, after a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Martinson is charged with three counts of felony child abuse, one count of domestic violence battery, and one count of written threat to kill or do bodily injury.
He has since been fired, according to LCSO.
Martinson started working with them in November 2021, in the Patrol Division.
The office shared a statement that: "This is not only a violation of trust to the victims and the public we serve, but a serious betrayal of the badge. When one of our own falls short of these standards and expectations, it is our responsibility to ensure they are held accountable to the full extent of the law."
The full report of the crimes were not available through court records and have been deemed confidential at this time.
LCSO is working with the State Attorney’s Office as it investigates this case.
