[BREAKING] Former Talk Show Host, Jon Matthews Pleads Guilty

Ex-talk radio host gets seven years probation
Jon Matthews exposed himself to 11-year-old

By ERIC HANSON
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle

RICHMOND - Former radio talk show host Jon Matthews was formally sentenced to seven years' probation on a charge of indecency with a child for exposing himself to an 11-year-old girl last year in his Sugar Land home.

After sentencing, the father of the victim read a statement in the court of state District Judge Brady Elliott describing Matthews' actions as inexcusable.

Saying they had been neighbors for years and that the girl trusted Matthews like a grandparent, the father said Matthews exploited that trust.

"We raised her to be cautious of strangers and to run to family or friends if she were in danger. You exploited the trust and love between our families and damaged the fundamental secure feeling a child of her age should have with her neighbors," he said.

Matthews, 59, pleaded guilty June 16 in a plea arrangement with prosecutors. The allegations against the conservative talk show host first surfaced in October.

He pleaded guilty to exposing himself to the girl, a neighbor, when she came to his home to play with a puppy Oct. 9.

According to court documents, Matthews answered the door in his underwear. The girl told investigators Matthews sat on the floor and that his genitals were exposed.

Court documents state Matthews then left the room to put on a pair of shorts.

"Upon his return to the living room, the defendant pulled his shorts and underwear down and exposed his genitals to Sara Post (pseudonym), then he said 'whoops.' ... The defendant told Sara Post not to tell what he had done."

After Monday's sentencing, Matthews attorney, Stephen Doggett, read a statement from his client. "To the complainant and her parents, I again apologize," he said.

Matthews then took some potshots at the American judicial system.

"Those of you who have listened to my radio show and read my newspaper columns over the years know how strong a supporter I was of our criminal justice system. I can only say how misguided I was. Our criminal justice system is not based on justice; it is a quota system where conviction is the only scorecard," he said.

Matthews said he hopes one day to talk about the case

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2715833

Man, this guy gets probation and he's whining about it? This guy should at least go to prison for a year.

 

man . . .what a slap on the wrist
MOney and the Power

Rocket River

 

That is absolutely weak.

 

nice word!

 

money and power?? jon matthews??? hardly. he was a morning radio host probably making around $65K a year. not exactly an OJ Simpson type defendant.

nevertheless...i figured many of those who hated matthews before would be heralding his statements about the judicial system today.

i'm not a matthews fan. couldn't stand the guy.

 

This is disappointing. I believe he should have had to do some time.

 

Punishments seem to be surprisingly light for these kinds of crimes -- especially first time offenders. The teacher who just out of prison for having sex with a minor, the first time she was caught she only got 6 months in jail, and that was for sex with a 12 year old.

 

No kidding. It is sad that sex offenders get off with relative slaps on the wrist while drug "offenders" clog our courtrooms and jail cells.