November 20th 2023.
Matthew Zakrzewski, a 34-year-old nanny, was sentenced to an unthinkable 700 years in prison on Nov. 17 for sexually assaulting 16 boys under his care. According to NBC News, Zakrzewski’s victims were aged between two and 12 years old. Furthermore, he is also accused of showing an additional boy sexually explicit images in an attempt to sexually abuse him.
It was said by the Orange County District Attorney’s office that Zakrzewski had taped a lot of his heinous acts, which occurred between January 2014 and May 2019 in California. He was presented with 34 felony counts, including 27 counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor, two counts of oral copulation of a child under the age of 10, one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of using a minor for sex acts. Zakrzewski had also distributed pornography to a minor for the purpose of engaging in sexual conduct and attempted one lewd or lascivious act with a minor under the age of 14.
The investigation into Zakrzewski began in May 2019 after a couple living in Laguna Beach reported to police that their 8-year-old son had been inappropriately touched by their babysitter. This sparked a full-scale investigation which ultimately revealed 10 more victims across Southern California.
Parents had hired Zakrzewski through one of several sitter sites he operated, where he called himself “the original Sitter Buddy”. His website also gave the impression that he was someone parents could trust, however, he was nothing more than a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
At the sentencing hearing, parents of victims read victim impact statements. One parent spoke of the pain she felt over never meeting the child her son would have been had he not been a victim of Matthew Zakrzewski’s sexual assault. Parents blamed themselves for letting Zakrzewski into their homes and leaving him alone with their children.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer described Zakrzewski’s crimes as those of a monster, saying, “The sexual exploitation of children is meant to destroy the smallest of souls, and this monster disguised by smiles and giggles engaged in the most horrific and calculated manipulation to ensure he would continue to have unfettered access to what these parents cherish the most — their children.”
At the time of his arrest, Zakrzewski was attempting to board an international flight at a Laguna Beach airport. He showed no remorse for his crimes and told the court that he “prided himself on bringing smiles to your children”. Despite this, he was convicted on every charge he faced.
Spitzer highlighted the immense trauma Zakrzewski inflicted on these young boys, saying that he was a predator wearing the mask of an angel. “These children will never know the people they were truly intended to be – because their childhoods were suddenly and inexplicably interrupted not by a wolf at the door, but by a predator masquerading as a Godsend”.
He concluded by addressing the parents of the victims, saying, “We cannot undo the trauma inflicted so unnecessarily on these children, but we can do everything we can to help support these families as they try to put back together the broken pieces of their children.”
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