photo by: Chris Conde/Journal-World

Timothy Glen Martins, left, and defense attorney Michael Clarke listen during a jury trial on May 4, 2022, in Douglas County District Court.

A man accused of sex crimes against two teen girls in his care testified Wednesday that he cuddled with one of the girls while she was naked and kissed her breasts, but didn’t go any further than that.

But the girl, who also testified, said that the man, Timothy Glenn Martins, also put his hand down her underpants and made an inappropriate remark.

Martins, 47, of Lawrence, is a former Douglas County employee and a former Shawnee County corrections officer. He is charged with four counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child and one count of indecent liberties with a child for allegedly fondling the two girls between 2012 and 2017.

At the beginning of Martins’ trial on Tuesday, District Attorney Suzanne Valdez said that there was a culture within Martins’ household of sleeping in the nude and cuddling, and the older of the two alleged victims testified that Martins would often rub her back while she was naked and cuddle with her for 30 minutes at a time. The older alleged victim, who is now an adult, also said that once while Martins was cuddling with her, he had an erection that she felt on the small of her back.

On Wednesday, Martins said he had been cuddling with the girls in bed since they were young, and that he thought it wasn’t unusual to do so.

Regarding the incident the older alleged victim described, he said it happened when she was about 15 years old. He said that he visited her room while she was studying in bed, and that “I got around her and straddled her and there wasn’t a lot of conversation, and I dozed off. Then, I got an erection.”

He said that the girl noticed and asked “what’s that?” and that he told her it was an erection and apologized, but then remained in the bed for some time before leaving. He said he didn’t cuddle with the girl any more after that incident.

However, he said that he continued cuddling with the younger alleged victim, who testified on Wednesday.

The younger alleged victim, who is also now an adult, described two incidents involving Martins that stood out to her. She said one of them happened when she was about 12 or 13 and she and Martins were in her bed.

“I ended up straddling him and nuzzling my head into his neck,” she said. “Then I felt his erection and I jumped off.”

The victim said she didn’t think that what had happened was wrong, but that it was uncomfortable.

She said the other incident happened a few years later. She said that she had just gotten back from taking a shower when she found Martins in her bedroom. She said he insisted that they cuddle, and that he then fondled and kissed her breasts.

After that happened, she said he looked at her and said, “You look like you liked that too much.” She said he then put his hands down her underwear and said to her, “You need to keep yourself shaved.” Then she said Martins left her room.

The alleged victim said that she later told Martins’ wife about the incident, but Martins’ wife told her it was her own responsibility “not to put myself in dangerous situations” around Martins.

Martins testified that he remembered what happened with the younger girl differently. He said the girl asked him to come to her room.

“She asked me to kiss her breasts. I did,” Martins said. “After I kissed her breasts, I felt ashamed and horrified; then I left the room.”

Martins testified that he did not put his hands down the girl’s underwear. He also said that he told his wife about the incident, but that she did not report it to authorities.

The younger alleged victim said that she had shared her account of what had happened with Martins with some friends at school, and that the police came to her house after that. She said that when the police came, Martins’ wife pulled her aside and told her to lie to the police about what happened.

“So I did,” the alleged victim said. “I told them I made it up.”

The alleged victim said the police weren’t involved in the case again until she later told Martins’ stepson about what had happened, and he told the authorities.

Martins is being represented in the case by attorney Michael Clarke. Closing arguments in the trial are scheduled for Thursday.

Editor’s note: This story has been revised to reflect that one of the counts was for indecent liberties with a child.