A 24-year-old Blaine man was sentenced to nearly eight years in prison in Whatcom County Superior Court on May 6 after pleading guilty to child rape and two domestic violence assaults. His eligibility for release will be reviewed at the end of his sentence, with the possibility of up to life in prison.
The sentencing comes after Fredy Eduardo Martin Esteban, 24, of Blaine, pled guilty in superior court to second-degree child rape and two counts of domestic violence assaults in the second- and fourth-degrees on March 17.
A plea deal had been stuck that dropped the rape charge from first degree to second, and dismissed five assault charges and a malicious mischief charge.
Martin Esteban, then 20, was arrested on Nov. 11, 2022, the same day that Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham, where a young child was undergoing a sexual assault nurse examination. The child told deputies Martin Esteban, whom she knew, “hurt her,” according to the affidavit of probable cause.
Court records show deputies established probable cause for arrest after speaking to the adults who recounted the child’s description of the assault and witnessed strange behavior from her.
On Jan. 21, 2023, the court released Martin Esteban from jail after $20,000 cash bail was posted. A few days after he was released, a woman known to Martin Esteban disclosed to detectives several instances of domestic violence, including that he tried to strangle her while she was pregnant in 2021. Court records show the woman was arrested at the time as she was believed to be the primary aggressor. The charges were later dropped.
The sheriff’s office issued a warrant for Martin Esteban’s arrest for the strangulation and other assaults on Feb. 9, 2023. After jumping bail for over a year, he was arrested near Santa Barbara, Calif,, in the summer of 2024.
Judge Evan Jones sentenced Martin Esteban to 7.9 years in prison for second-degree child rape. He was also ordered to concurrently serve 2.4 years combined for the two domestic violence assault charges.
Jones gave Martin Esteban the minimum length in the standard sentencing range for his criminal history and the second-degree child rape charge, which is 7.9 months to 10.4 years in prison with life in community custody. He received the high end of the sentencing range for the assaults.
Before his prison time ends, the Indeterminate Sentence Review Board will determine whether Martin Esteban should be released or incarcerated longer, with the ability to order him to serve up to life in prison.
Martin Esteban declined to participate in a presentence interview, which provides the judge with a comprehensive look at the defendant’s life before determining the sentence length.
Neither the child nor the woman submitted impact statements to the judge prior to the sentencing.
As of May 13, Martin Esteban remained in Whatcom County Jail while awaiting being transferred to prison.
If you or someone you know is affected by domestic or sexual violence, the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services (DVSAS) 24-hour hotline is available at 360-715-1563 or 877-715-1563.
Brigid Collins Family Support Center, a Bellingham-based nonprofit working to end child abuse, can be reached at 360-734-4616 and brigidcollins.org.
Lummi Victims of Crime has a 24-hour helpline at 360-312-2015.
The National Domestic Violence Helpline operates a chat line at thehotline.org/help.
