A man who worked as a nanny was recently convicted of 34 felonies and could spend the rest of his life in prison after sexually abusing 16 boys between the ages of 2 and 12. He was also convicted of showing pornography to a separate victim and making his own child pornography.
Matthew Antonio Zakrzewski, 34, was first investigated in 2019 when a family from Laguna Beach, California, claimed that he had sexually abused their 8-year-old son, according to Fox News. As a result of the investigation, there were more victims that came forward who had been abused between 2014 and 2019.
Jim Costa, Laguna Beach Police Sergeant, said that “[i]t was actually sickening to me and the rest of the detectives — we put all of our focus into this investigation.”
As a result of the horrific crimes he committed, Zakrzewski faces up to 690 years to life in prison. His bail was apparently set at $1 million, according to charging documents, per Fox News.
Todd Spitzer, the Orange County District Attorney, released the following statement:
These young boys were forced to endure unimaginable terror as a result of the ultimate betrayal by a babysitter. 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 bravely 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 victimized.
Deputy District Attorney Juliet Oliver told jurors during the trial that “the defendant was a mastermind at preying upon these families, not just grooming the children but grooming the parents.”
She went on to say that Zakrzewski had “fooled everyone,” adding that “[h]e hunted every child in the case. He had a how-to book on it. But he could have written the book on it, from what you’ve seen in this case.” She continued by saying the defendant had devoted himself to “years of grooming and normalizing and perfecting the art of exploiting these children sexually.”
Fox News noted that Zakrzewski was one of the founding members of “Sitter Buddy,” which was a website meant to connect parents with potential caregivers. He described himself on his profile as a “manny” who offered big brother relationships, mentorships, and even overnight babysitting.
Costa Mesa Male Nanny Accused of Molesting Children Faces New Chargeswww.youtube.com
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