Male nanny who sexually abused 16 boys aged 2-12 faces 690 years behind bars
A male nanny faces a maximum sentence of 690 years to life in prison after being convicted of molesting 16 boys aged between two and twelve and showing pornography to a seventeenth boy.
Matthew Antonio Zakrzewski, 34, of Costa Mesa, California, was convicted on Tuesday of 34 felonies for sexually assaulting 16 young boys under his care and showing a seventeenth pornography with the intent to sexually assault him. He also filmed many of the sexual assaults on the boys.
Zakrzewski was arrested on May 17, 2019, by detectives from the Laguna Beach Police Department at a local airport after getting off an international flight. He was originally charged with three felony counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor under the age of 14, and one felony count of oral copulation of a child under the age of 10. He was also charged with one felony count of possession of child pornography.
READ MORE: Evil mum kept boy, 6, in tiny urine-soaked closet without food before he starved to death
After those charges were filed, investigators turned to the public for help in identifying any other victims of the nanny who worked for families across Southern California. As the investigation continued, more victims were identified through video evidence and tips from the public, which resulted in additional charges being filed against Zakrzewski.
Man in 30s dies after being stabbed in park sparking police probe
Zakrzewski's arrest came after a Laguna Beach couple reported that Zakrzewski, who had been hired to care for their eight-year-old child through one of his several babysitting websites, had touched their son inappropriately. They said they were concerned for the safety of their son and potentially other children.
The Laguna Beach Police Department's Major Crimes and Intelligence Unit immediately opened an investigation, which then led to the identification of a second victim, aged seven, in the City of Los Angeles. Ten more boys across Southern California were also identified as part of the investigation.
Zakrzewski was arrested by police in Laguna Beach, California (Orange County District Attorney's Office)"These young boys were forced to endure unimaginable terror as a result of the ultimate betrayal by a babysitter," said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. "These parents thought they were hiring a trusted caregiver for their children while they went on family vacations, date nights, and for other childcare needs; instead they were unknowingly letting a monster walk into their homes and prey upon their innocent children in the vilest way.
"I am incredibly proud of the young victims who barely took the stand to testify against their abuser, the parents who were by their side every step of the way, and the parents who testified themselves. By standing up to this predator and telling the truth about what he did, they are ensuring that the voices of the victims of sexual assault are being heard while they are protecting other children from being victimised."
On his website, Zakrzewski called himself "the original Sitter Buddy", characterising himself as a "manny" who provided a variety of babysitting services. These included mentorships, big brother relationships and even offering overnight and holiday babysitting.
He called himself 'Sitter Buddy' on his website offering 'big brother' mentoring (kcal)On his website, he said: "In the eighth grade I discovered what a joy it was to work with children and be a positive impact in their lives through my school's 'Buddy Program'. Now, I am a full-service TrustLine Certified provider of regular and on-demand childcare, as well as mentoring services for children."
After an intensive investigation, Zakrzewski was charged with a total of 34 felony counts, including 27 felony counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor under the age of 14, two felony counts of oral copulation of a child under the age of 10, and one felony count of possession of child pornography. He also faces one felony count of using a minor for sex acts, two felony counts of distributing pornography to a minor for the purpose of engaging in sexual conduct, and one felony count of an attempted lewd or lascivious acts with a minor under the age of 14.
He was convicted by a jury of all 34 felonies. The crimes were carried out between January 1, 2014, and May 17, 2019. He is set to be sentenced on November 17, 2023, where he faces 690 years to life plus eight years.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
