52° CLOUDY, Ex-firefighter faces up to 12 years in sex case
Last Modified: Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 4:44 p.m.
A former Sonoma County police officer and volunteer fire captain faces up to 12 years in prison after he pleaded no contest to several sex charges involving teenagers.
Matthew Phillips, 33, agreed to accept responsibility for six felony charges, including a child endangerment charge that was reduced from child molestation. The plea, entered Friday, will require Phillips to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
His attorney, Chris Andrian, noted that the plea deal did not include a child molestation charge, which he argued didn’t fit the facts of the case.
Phillips was a volunteer Bennett Valley Fire Department captain and Rohnert Park Public Safety officer when he was arrested on charges that could have meant more than two decades in prison if convicted. He was fired from Bennett Valley and quit Rohnert Park when the investigations began in 2005.
After a preliminary hearing, Phillips was held over for trial on nine of 19 charges. But as his trial approached, negotiations commenced between attorneys.
Phillips was the coordinator of the Explorers, a Boy Scout training program for teens ages 14 to 18 who may pursue firefighting careers, when he committed the criminal acts.
Several teenage witnesses testified that Phillips gave them alcohol, showed them pornography and offered them the use of his home, creating a fraternity house-type atmosphere for teenage boys.
They said over time, Phillips, who became a father-figure or big brother substitute for them, convinced them it was normal to masturbate together and tape couples having sex.
He pleaded no cointest to child endangerment, one count of exhibiting child pornography to a minor, one count of taking photographs of a minor engaged in sexual activity for commercial purposes, and three counts of surreptitiously filming people engaged in sexual activity.
Witnesses testified that Phillips arranged the taping of sex acts between two teenage Explorers and their unwitting female partners, once at the fire station and twice at Phillips’ home.
In one of those incidents, a young man said Phillips was wearing his Rohnert Park police uniform while he was taping.
“There’s been this perception that he didn’t want to take responsibility for bad conduct. It was just what (conduct), and under what circumstances,” said Andrian, the defense attorney. “This plea deal allows him to accept responsibility for things that he did and not bite the whole thing. We had some issues on some of the counts.”
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Comments
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September 30, 2008 3:41:47 pm
RE: Link
Thin Blue Line?
September 30, 2008 3:46:24 pm
Wow. Sex crime sentencing is harsh! I think he would have gotten less time if he had murdered the kids.
September 30, 2008 5:36:06 pm
Hang on. Drtodd just might have a point. I just read that a woman back east was sentenced to three years probation and order to pay a $10,000 dollar fine when she poisoned and almost killed her roommate. I think attempted murder deserves a bigger sentence then showing pornography to minors.
Does this guy deserve to be locked away? Sure, but for over a decade? And what about the Uncle who had sex with his niece and impregnated her? Wasn't he sentenced to life in prison by Sonoma County? Heinz Riser (who killed his wife) didn't get that sentence. The Sonoma County D.A. is lacking in common sense and his judgment is being clouded by the fact he wants to appear "tough on crime" for his re-election bid.
A better sentence for the Uncle would be to sentence him to prison, have him serve a couple of years in prison then parole him to serve out the rest of his sentence as an employee at a chain store. He would have to continue to work and pay child support until the child reaches 18. That way California will not have to fit as big as a bill and the unborn child will get finical support. If the Uncle quits then he gets sent back to serve out his sentence (when the child turns 18.)
September 30, 2008 5:41:11 pm
Thin blue line indeed. If this had been your ever day pervert using position and influence to have sex with many underage children the charge and verdict would have been much different. Bring in police officer and volunteer fire captain and prosecutors will reduce to a lower charge. Glad this was a speedy trial, laughable. The prosecutors must be very proud with the outcome. Welcome to heavy prosecution for the average Joe and slap on the hand for the really bad cop or fireman.
September 30, 2008 5:45:33 pm
Exactly my point, Steven. Thanks.
I'm not saying what he did was okay, but being locked up for 12 years for watching porn with teenagers seems pretty aggressive. He was in his twenties; he wasn't that far removed from being a kid himself.He's a creep. He'll be on the sex offenders list. but, throwing him in jail for 1/5th of his life is pretty rough.
September 30, 2008 5:56:39 pm
So he was a Rohnert Park Police Officer too? What in the world is going on in that City??? OMG!!! Someone should go in there with a fine tooth comb and clean that place out once and for all!
September 30, 2008 5:58:01 pm
this guy is the most dangerous type
HE IS AN ATHORITY FIGURE.
if it wasn't for his blue friends he would be doing life.when his parole is up i'll put my
50 cents in,or is it 50 sence.
he got off easy but with the help of the community, his parole won't be...
September 30, 2008 6:04:48 pm
Not to mention that his sentence, what ever it might be, will be twice as difficult and dangerous as the average Joe with the same sentence. Being an ex-cop and child molester this guy is a marked man, he won't survive his prison sentence or have to be locked down by himself so his will be in effect serving his time in solitary confinement. I hope the Judge will take that into consideration when sending him away.
September 30, 2008 6:06:57 pm
hey pd watcher.
were on the same page
this was someone who used his position as a community leader to hurt children.
screw him i will be there at his porole hearing
September 30, 2008 6:57:56 pm
what is up with you white crackers molesting kids? I would never let my kids walk down fountaingrove.
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