After two days of testimony and seven hours of deliberation, a jury has found a former law enforcement officer, Boy Scout leader and foster father guilty on nine counts and not guilty on eight counts.

At six hours, the court issued a “hammer instruction,” which directs jurors that it is desirable to reach a decision in every case and that they should try to arrive at a verdict, according to the Missouri Bar Association.

Three victims testified against John Edwin Martin, who also goes by Ian, alleging abuse. Martin was previously an officer with Greene County Sheriff’s Office, Christian County Sheriff’s Office and Stone County Sheriff’s Office.

Two witnesses were Martin’s foster children and another was a Boy Scout in a troop led by Martin. Det. James Stephenson, who is the Republic Police Department’s person crimes detective, also testified regarding how the case against Martin was developed. There are a total of 17 charges against Martin.

Six witnesses testified on behalf of Martin, including his domestic partner, sister, adopted sons and longtime friends. They testified that they never witnessed any instances of abuse and that they do not believe Martin would abuse children in his care.

A 17-year-old victim, L.A., said that in 2020, as a 13-year-old foster child in Martin’s care, that Martin had him strip naked for tick checks after being outside, spanked him directly on his rear with a paddle, and encouraged and watched him shave his testicles. L.A. said that he told friends in his Boy Scout troop about the allegations as a way of commiserating, not as a means of reporting the abuse. The jury found Martin not guilty on all four counts in L.A.’s case.

The defense argued that the minor made allegations in order to be able to see his biological family and that L.A. testified due to desire for attention.

“That’s why he stayed here a lot of the time (after testifying), because he wants to be the star,” Donovan Dobbs, defense lawyer, said. “He wants to run around and do what he wants to do.”

Justin Martin, who is Martin’s adopted son, alleged that various instances of abuse took place when he was in Martin’s house between 2009 and 2010. Justin Martin said that, in addition to spanking and tick checks similar to what LA experienced, he was forced to touch John Martin’s genitals and that John Martin touched Justin Martin’s genitals. Justin Martin also alleged that John Martin penetrated him anally with objects. Justin Martin said the abuse stopped when he got older. The jury found John Martin guilty of nine of the ten counts, which were second-degree statutory rape in Justin Martin’s case.

Aaron Rice testified that he was a Boy Scout in John Martin’s troop around 1997, when he was 10 or 11. He didn’t have a father figure in his life and said that Martin filled that spot, spending weekends or nights at Martin’s house when his mother was unable to care for him. Rice alleges that Martin touched his genitals, penetrated him anally and that Martin performed oral sex on him in Martin’s home, as well as that there was an occasion where Martin raped him after a Boy Scout meeting. Rice did not disclose his abuse until 2020, when a friend made him aware of a class action lawsuit against Boy Scouts of America by those who had been abused as children by scout leaders. The jury found Martin not guilty in all three of the counts in Rice’s case.

Rice said that in 1997, Martin told him he would kill his mother if he tried to tell her or anyone else about the abuse.

The defense argued in closing that both Justin Martin’s testimony and Aaron Rice’s testimony was suspect because there were limited details about the situations.

“In traumatic events, you generally remember what happened right then. You may not remember the whole thing around it” like the day of the week, but you remember all the details, Dobbs said. “We didn’t get any more detail because it didn’t happen.”

The defense also questioned why the victims never told anyone about the abuse — arguing that L.A. and Justin Martin both had caseworkers, Boy Scout Leaders and other adults in their lives.

“Nothing was said because nothing happened,” Dobbs said. Dobbs also emphasized that the sustained relationship between Justin Martin and John Martin was not indicative of the alleged abuse. The defense presented continued correspondence between the two in regards to birth announcements, baby shower invitations and Father’s Day cards.

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“Common sense and reason would tell you I want nothing to do with that person,” Dobbs said. “(Justin Martin) didn’t say anything because nothing happened.”

The state emphasized the traumatizing nature of sexual abuse, especially as it pertains to men. When both Justin Martin and Rice were asked why they didn’t tell anyone about the abuse, both talked about the cultural stigma that surrounds men and boys who have been sexually abused.

“We’re guys. We don’t talk about stuff like that,” Rice told defense attorney Dobbs when asked about why he didn’t tell the friend who brought the BSA lawsuit to Rice about the abuse. “I don’t want people looking down on me.”

Susan Szuch reports on health and food for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @szuchsm. Story idea? Email her at sszuch@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Republic foster father, BSA leader found guilty of child sexual abuse