A male nanny from California, USA has been sentenced to over 700 years in prison.
Speaking in court on Friday, November 17, Matthew Zakrzewski, 34 said he “prided himself” on bringing smiles to the children he sexually assaulted.
Matthew Zakrzewski was found guilty of 34 felony counts including lewd and lascivious acts with a minor under 14 for his evil abuse of children which included molesting 16 young boys trusted under his care, and showing pornography to a 17th, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office announced.
Zakrzewski committed his horrific crimes over more than three years between Jan. 2014, to May 2019. His young victims ranged from 2 to 12 years old.
“I
prided myself on bringing smiles to your children and all the good
times we shared were 100 per cent genuine,” Zakrzewski said in front of
Orange County Superior Court Judge Kimberly Menninger.
The paedophile found work through his website, calling himself “the original Sitter Buddy” and offered multiple services including babysitting, mentorships, and overnight and vacation babysitting.
Several family members of the abused children called Zakrzewski a “master manipulator” during victim impact statements.
“A death sentence is too good for him… Please show no mercy on this animal,” a grandmother of two of the victims said, according to ABC 7.
Other parents said they were left with guilt for having hired the “monster” to watch their children.
“I will be dealing with guilt for the rest of my life for letting this animal in my life,” one mother said. “I hired a babysitter once in my life. Just once in my life.”
“He came to our home once a month for a year,” a mother whose 2-year-old son fell victim to Zakrzewski. “One of the first things he taught him was to keep secrets.”
The district attorney called the case a loss of innocence and childhoods of the 17 children.
“This is a case of shattered innocence and precious childhoods that were robbed from 17 little boys,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said.“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 was found guilty
of the 34 felony charges in October, where at the time he was facing a
maximum jail time of 690 years to life plus eight years.
In
her closing remarks during the trial, prosecutor Juliet Oliver revealed
Zakrzewski had an “entire book” on paedophilia on his computer, and had
videotaped most of the evidence used against him.
He was only caught after one of the children’s parents reported him to the police for inappropriately touching her eight-year-old son and sharing a concern for other children back in early May 2019.
He was arrested on May 17, 2019, at a local airport after deboarding an international flight.
After
initially filing five felony charges against Zakrzewski investigators
asked the public for help identifying other potential victims through
video evidence and tips resulting in the additional charges.
