Mario Martha was fired from Morgan County’s Department of Human Services after he stalked a woman using promises of helping her to regain custody of her daughter if she would have sex with him. He pled guilty to misdemeanor official misconduct and was sentenced to two years probation and 48 hours of community service. The felony sex assault charge was dismissed.

“On the flip side, she felt threatened and scared that if she did not do what defendant Martha wanted, he would make it impossible for Ms. Tafoya to regain custody of her daughter,” the lawsuit reads. Tafoya claims that he pulled her aside before an emergency placement hearing saying that he wanted to check for bruises and then begin kissing her legs.

Can you imagine showing up at court to fight for your child and being sexually assaulted by a court caseworker? That is horrific! And the district attorney let him go with probation and community service. Unbelievable!

The mother was terrified that she would lose her daughter to the hellish foster care system if she said anything.  Mario took advantage of her and played on her feelings for her daughter and her fear of him. He began showing up at her house and forcing himself on her in her bedroom.

Tafoya is not the only person that Mario has sexually harassed, and she is probably not the only person that he has sexually assaulted. Mario Martha was “disciplined at work for inappropriately touching coworkers”. And the district attorney let him go with community service and probation?

The director of the Morgan County Department of Human Services, Jacque Frenier refused to answer questions about whether the agency’s investigation into Martha’s actions with other clients.

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