An Atlanta minister on the run after being convicted of rape and child molestation disappeared days before he had to face his accuser in court.
“Of course she is afraid. Her family is afraid, because they just don’t know where he is,” said Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard. “They really don’t know what his leaving means for her safety.”
Don Martin, 45, was a no-show in court on Day 5 of his trial. He was convicted in absentia of rape and child molestation of a 7-year-old girl. Originally from the Bahamas, Martin served as a minister at the Cathedral of Faith Church of God in Christ.
Martin was a friend of the child’s legal guardian. The two met at an Atlanta church, where he was a minister, according to police. Martin would spend the night at their house and that’s when the abuse would happen, according to Howard.
Now, he’s on the run – and considered a danger to the public.
“Any person, any man who would perform those kinds of acts on a young lady, I would have to determine as dangerous,” Howard said. “This case involves a child who had been sexually abused and raped over a seven-year period. It started when she was 6 or 7 years old and ended when she was about 13.”
Atlanta Police launched its investigation into Martin in 2011 after the young girl reported that he touched her inappropriately for several years at different locations across College Park and Atlanta, according to court records. Howard said Atlanta Police closed the case in 2011 when the victim failed to show up for a forensic interview and Martin provided an alibi. However, investigators reopened the case in 2014 after the victim repeated stories of alleged abuse.
Martin was arrested in 2014 but was released on $15,000 bond, with the condition that he wear an ankle monitor. Three years later, that ankle monitor was removed.
“Part of the reasoning is because he was a minister, and so the judge had consented to that, which turned out to be a real mistake,” Howard said. “If he had that ankle monitor on, maybe it would’ve persuaded him not to leave.”
Investigators said they do not know if Martin is still in the Atlanta area – but hopes someone out there knows where he is.
“We would just like to say to him, if he’s listening, you ought to turn yourself into authorities,” Howard said.