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By Kent Larsen
Former Missionary Sentenced for Sexual Assault during Mission
FRANKLIN, NORTH CAROLINA -- A former LDS missionary plead guilty Monday to
five counts of sexual assault committed while he was serving an LDS mission
in the North Carolina Charlotte Mission and was sentenced to five years in
prison for the crime. Matthew Alan Nash, 27, of Salt Lake City, has admitted
to molesting at least 22 children in both North Carolina and Utah since age 16.
According to North Carolina police, all of Nash's victims in the state were
LDS Church members between the ages of 5 and 8 years old. Assaults had
occured when Nash taught classes at local LDS meetinghouses or while
visiting the members in their homes.
Nash's crimes were discovered in May 2000, when his Salt Lake City-based
therapist alerted the North Carolina Department of Social Services of the
abuse. In May 1999, Nash had confessed the abuse to his Mission President
and was excommunicated from the Church and sent home from his mission.
Church leaders are generally not required to report sexual abuse under the
doctrine of pastor-penitent privilege, and the confidentiality of
confessions often prevents leaders from reporting crimes they learned of
only from the perpetrator's confession.
A plea agreement with North Carolina prosecutors got the most serious abuse
charge dismissed and the sentence consolidated into seven punishments
instead of 18, saving Nash up to 14 years in prison. At the sentencing, Nash
tearfully spoke asking for forgiveness, "I just pray that they [the victims]
forgive me and the church (will forgive me), said Nash. "I truly am sorry
and I accept any punishment the court sees fit to put on me." Defense
attorney Roy Patton told the court that Nash was truly remorseful and had
assisted authorities with their investigation.
Macon County District Attorney Steve Boone said that given Nash's
cooperation, the sentence was appropriate, "He came forward. We had not
initiated any investigation until he turned himself in," Boone said, adding
there was no physical evidence to link Nash to the crimes. "Putting that all
together I think it is very reasonable."
Sources:
Former Mormon missionary sentenced to five years
Asheville NC Citizen-Times 30Apr01 D2
By Quintin Ellison: Staff Writer
Former Mormon missionary sentenced to five years
S.L. molester sent to N.C. prison
Deseret News 1May01 D2
By Angie Welling: Deseret News Staff Writer
Missionary accused of molesting girls returns to North Carolina
Raleigh NC News &Observer (AP) 1May01 D2
Man Gets 5-Year Sentence for Sex Offenses While on Mormon Mission
Salt Lake Tribune (AP) 1May01 D2
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