GUILTY NM - Matthew Nichols for child *advertiser censored*, Los Alamos, 2010

Missizzy

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"He didn't say anything about it". A youth minister hired in 2003 is handed the "keys to the children" and has no background check. He's "well-performing". You might want to check out the places this man has taught and coached. He's been all over the country, spreading around his "performance skills".

http://www.abqjournal.com/abqnews/a...ilty-in-child-*advertiser censored*-case.html

UPDATED: Former Youth Minister Pleads Guilty in Child *advertiser censored* Case


The 58-year-old Los Alamos man faces up to 40 years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine when sentenced


"The U.S. Attorney's Office in Albuquerque said in a news release that Matthew Nichols, 58, of Los Alamos appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge W. Daniel Schneider on Friday and pleaded guilty under a plea agreement to distribution and attempted distribution of child *advertiser censored*...."

and

...Nichols, who was fired in August by Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church in Los Alamos, has been in custody since his arrest on June 23. Nichols, who previously had been convicted of corruption of minors and criminal solicitation (to commit involuntary deviant sexual intercourse) in Pennsylvania, will face at sentencing a term of not less than 15 years and not more than 40 years imprisonment, a maximum fine of $250,000 and a lifetime term of supervised release...."

and

"....forensic examinations of the computers and computer-related media uncovered 1,465 images and 186 videos of child *advertiser censored*..."

and

"...."We didn't fire him because of the arrest in June but because the indictment revealed his 1980 prior convictions, and none of that came up in any of the interviews with him ... he didn't say anything about it ... we felt our congregation's confidence in him was probably irreparable based on that."

and

"Nichols has been youth and family director at the Los Alamos church since 2003..."

and


"Matt is a very well-performing employee of the congregation," he said. "All indications from both parents and all the children (are) that during that period of time, there's been no ... inappropriate action by Matt."



more at link


And a photo:

http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/Former-youth-minister-pleads-guilty--
 
"Matt is a very well-performing employee of the congregation," he said. "All indications from both parents and all the children (are) that during that period of time, there's been no ... inappropriate action by Matt."

He can't really be that naive, can he? I guess he can after having failed to do a background check to begin with.
 
I think people desperately grasp at naivete as the alternative is far too devastating.

We know that it's veritably impossible that this man didn't somehow harm some of the children entrusted to him. I'm guessing that once he's been convicted, some other children will come forward with their stories.
 
If it is indeed true that Nichols had background checks run, I'd like to know what went wrong. I'm also not clear on just how long he was allowed to remain on PAID leave. I believe it was a number of months, at least until the church discovered the past offenses. If I were a church member, I'd be asking for that money back. It needs to go into the fund to prepare for court ordered therapy for any child who comes forward.


http://mojoey.blogspot.com/2010/06/youth-pastor-matthew-nichols-arrested.html

"Ethridge [President of the church Board of Directors] says the church consistently* runs background checks on church members and parents who chaperon children and somehow Nichols had passed two such tests without raising any red flags.

"Even in the background investigation and the interviews with him and the references none of that information came up," he said.

more at link

* Consistently: commonly , customarily , frequently [but NOT always]



More details:

http://halfabridge.wordpress.com/2010/08/12/more-about-local-youth-minister-matthew-nichols/


And the indictment:

http://www.justice.gov/usao/nm/pr/2010/nichols/100624_nichols_indictment.pdf
 
That term "Youth Minister" is starting to creep me out.
 
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Sa...gets-18-years-for-child-*advertiser censored*

Ex-minister gets 18 years for child *advertiser censored*
Search of computers turns up images, videos


"A 58-year-old former youth minister of a Los Alamos church and former science teacher in Española was sentenced Thursday to 18 years in prison on a child-*advertiser censored* charge. Matthew Nichols, who pleaded guilty in October to a felony count of distributing or attempting to distribute child *advertiser censored*, is likely to serve his sentence at a Massachusetts prison geared at housing offenders with long-term medical or mental health needs.

None of the allegations against Nichols involve physical contact with any of the children of Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church, where he worked for seven years as a youth and family minister, or at McCurdy School in Española, where he taught prior to working at the church and also served as athletic director....."

and

"....Court documents state an in-depth analysis of the two computers turned up 1,465 images and 186 videos depicting child *advertiser censored*...."

more at link

IMO, the defense made far too much out of the issue that no church members or former students have stepped forward. The child *advertiser censored* was of "children Nichols did not know". This makes it better, somehow? Those children are still someone's children. They are just as human as the children in Nichols' life. The very fact that he surrounded himself with children and sought them out, disturbs me greatly.

Just wondering, do inmates at this special Mass. prison receive treatment? Most prisons do not offer treatment. I wonder what triggered this choice of placement. Personally, I'd like to see all sex offenders who are sentenced to federal prison, sent to a place where there is intensive, in-your-face treatment everyday.
 

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