A New York man charged with repeatedly sexually abusing multiple young girls for years will have his case proceed to county court following a preliminary hearing last week.

Judge Jodie Richardson ruled May 22 that the case of Dennis Iluminado Martinez, of Brookyln, could proceed to the Court of Common Pleas on more than 50 sexual offenses including two counts of rape of a child, four counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, 15 counts of indecent assault of a person less than 13 years of age and other charges.

Judge Richardson also denied a request by Martinez’s attorney to reduce his bail from $300,000. Martinez remains in Lancaster County Prison in lieu of that amount.

Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Ponessa, who will prosecute the case, argued that Martinez’s bail be left as is, calling him a “violent criminal.” Additionally, Ponessa noted the lengthy amount of time it took to locate Martinez in New York and extradite him from there, noting his refusal to sign extradition papers and calling his lengthy incarceration since late 2023 “his own fault.”

Speaking out of turn, Martinez told the court Ponessa was “lying,” adding that he has “a lot of evidence” that would prove his innocence.

Martinez, 39, is accused of sexually abusing four underage girls at multiple locations in Lancaster city between about 2006 and 2020.

Fighting through tears, one of the victims testified that Martinez sexually abused her on many occasions starting from when she was about 8 years old until she was 13 or 14.

The abuse – which included rape, sexual assaults and Martinez watching her as she bathed – occurred whenever Martinez had the opportunity to take advantage of her, the now-18-year-old victim testified.

“If he wanted to wake up at 9 a.m. on a Friday and touch me, he would do that,” the victim told the court. “If he wanted to touch me at 10 o’clock at night, he would do that.”

Another victim, now 27, told the court in tearful testimony that Martinez sexually abused her over a number of years starting when she was about 5 years old.

Yet another victim, now 26, testified that Martinez would watch her shower and would push her into closets to sexually assault her. The abuse occurred on separate occasions when the victim was 8 years old and again around the time of her 13th birthday.

On one occasion, Martinez threatened to get the victim in trouble if she refused him sexual favors, she testified.

A fourth victim, now 18, personally drove from New York to testify against Martinez, telling the court through tears that he began sexually assaulting and abusing her at three different Lancaster city residences when she was 10 years old. The abuse continued until she was about 14 or 15 years old, she told the court.

Two of the victims also testified that Martinez offered to get their nails done in exchange for sexual favors. They also testified that Martinez would abuse them at the same time and frequently made them sexually touch each other.

Police began investigating Martinez in August 2022 after one of the victims reported the abuse to authorities in Hillsborough County, Florida.

Lancaster City Bureau of Police Officer Jared Snader filed the charges.

All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.