Man wanted in sexual exploitation case turns himself in
Published 3:08 pm Tuesday, January 10, 2017
- Joshua Douglas Martorelli, left, in January 2017 walks to the Rowan County Jail after being charged with child pornography charges. Martorelli turned himself in at the Rowan County Magistrate's Office. He is shown here with a Rowan County Sheriff's detective C.B. Gordy. Salisbury Post File Photo
Joshua Douglas Martorelli, 33, who was wanted by the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office on numerous sex and pornography charges, turned himself in at the county Magistrates Office on Tuesday afternoon.
He is charged with possessing photographic images from secret peeping and two counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
The Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigative Division joined with the Rowan County Department of Social Services in the investigation. Sheriff’s investigators say Martorelli possessed and traded pornographic images of a child with 36-year-old Wendy Arlene Kasper.
Kasper, who was charged with committing numerous sexual acts with a dog and secretly recording a child in a bathroom, made her first court appearance Monday.
Salisbury attorney Doug Smith was appointed to represent Kasper, who is expected to return to court Feb. 22.
The investigation indicated that Kasper was involved in child pornography dissemination with Martorelli, officials said. They said Martorelli may be involved in a larger child pornography group that is under investigation.
The information is being shared with other jurisdictions and the State Bureau of Investigation.
Arrest warrants for Martorelli say he also possessed images of nude and semi-nude young girls, one of whom engaged in a sexual act with an adult male. The arrest warrant also cites video obtained from Wendy Kasper of a young girl in a bathroom. He was issued a $50,000 secured bond.