Zach Martin was sentenced to five years in prison after crimes committed at the end of 2017.
After being dismissed from the University of Tulsa in December 2017, 19-year-old Zach Martin was recently sentenced to five years in prison on four counts of sexual assault.
Martin, a former member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, groped an unconscious female student while the two were attending a party at his fraternity house. She awoke and fled the scene as Martin was removing his pants, after which she notified the police. Within 24 hours of the incident, Martin was arrested and expelled from the university and fraternity.
Incidents involving two other women on campus later came to light, occurring between September and December 2017. Martin pleaded guilty to all four charges brought against him.
Since he had no prior felony convictions, Martin faced a potential maximum of 10 years behind bars.
Trevor Reynolds, Martin’s attorney, argued for probation in lieu of a prison sentence on the basis of Martin’s struggle with alcohol addiction. He also pointed out that Martin’s punishment will extend beyond his sentence, since he will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
District Attorney Kenneth Elmore pushed back against the attempted diminishing of Martin’s actions, calling them “a serious criminal matter.”
He added that he believed the sentencing was emblematic of Tulsa’s commitment to eradicating sexual assault: “We’re taking great steps to demonstrate to the citizens of Tulsa County that [unwanted physical contact] is an unacceptable behavior trend.”
If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual assault, there are resources available to you on campus. The university’s survivor advocate can be reached at (918) 631-2965, the Violence Prevention Program Coordinator at (918)631-2324 or kelsey-hancock@utulsa.edu and the office of the Dean of Students at (918)631-2510 or mike-mills@utulsa.edu.
