(KTLA) — A California nanny was sentenced Friday for sexually abusing 16 young boys and showing pornography to a 17th boy while they were under his care.
Matthew Antonio Zakrzewski, 34, of Costa Mesa, faces 705 years to life plus two years and eight months in prison, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
He was convicted on Oct. 3 by a jury of 34 felony counts, including lewd and lascivious acts with a minor under the age of 14, inappropriate sexual activity with a child under the age of 10, possession of child pornography, using a minor for sex acts, and more.
Zakrzewski had worked as a nanny for many families across Southern California. His victims ranged in age from 2 to 12 years old, the DA’s office said.
The crimes were committed between Jan. 1, 2014, and May 17, 2019. He filmed many of the sexual assaults on the boys as well.
Through victim impact statements in court on Friday, parents of the victimized boys expressed their outrage at Zakrzewski, comparing him to “an animal they blamed themselves for letting into their homes,” court documents said.
In a statement to the court, Zakrzewski never apologized, officials said.
“I prided myself on bringing smiles to your children and all the good times we shared were 100 percent genuine,” he stated as, “several parents covered their ears and wept as he spoke,” according to court documents.
In May 2019, a Laguna Beach couple reported to police that their babysitter, Zakrzewski, had inappropriately touched their 8-year-old son. They were concerned for their child’s safety and potentially other children.
The couple had hired Zakrzewski to care for their son through one of his several babysitting websites.
Laguna Beach police opened an investigation which led to the discovery of a second victim, a 7-year-old boy in L.A., along with 10 more boys across Southern California.
Zakrzewski called himself “the original Sitter Buddy” on his website, describing himself as a “manny” who provided a variety of babysitting services, including mentorships, big brother relationships along with overnight and vacation babysitting.
“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,’” Zakrzewski wrote on his Sitter Buddy website. “Now, I am a full-service TrustLine Certified provider of regular and on-demand childcare, as well as mentoring services for children.”
He was arrested on May 17, 2019, by Laguna Beach detectives at a local airport after deplaning an international flight.
“This is a case of shattered innocence and precious childhoods that were robbed from 17 little boys,” said O.C. District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “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. These innocent little boys must bear a lifetime of trauma, and their parents will bear a lifetime of pain knowing that they put their precious children in the arms of an animal because they believed who he said he was. 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.”
Zakrzewski was ultimately charged with 34 felony counts.
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