34-Year-Old Costa Mesa Man Faces a Maximum Sentence of 690 Years to Life
SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man who served as a male nanny for families across Southern California has been convicted of 34 felonies today for sexually assaulting 16 young boys under his care and showing a 17th boy child pornography with the intent to also sexually assault him. He filmed many of the sexual assaults on the young boys, who ranged in age from two to 12 years old.
Matthew Antonio Zakrzewski, 34, of Costa Mesa, was arrested on May 17, 2019 by Laguna Beach Police Department detectives at a local airport after deplaning an international flight. Zakrzewski was originally charged with three felony counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor under the age of 14, and one felony count of oral copulation of a child under the age of 10. He was also charged with one felony count of possession of child pornography.
After initial criminal charges were filed, investigators asked for the public‘s help in locating any other potential victims. As the investigation progressed, additional victims were identified through video evidence and tips from the public, resulting in additional charges being filed against Zakrzewski.
Zakrzewski called himself “the original Sitter Buddy” on his website, in which he also characterized himself as a “manny” who provided a variety of babysitting services, including mentorships, big brother relationships and offering 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 stated on the 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.”
Zakrzewski was ultimately charged with a total of 34 felony counts, including 27 felony counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor under the age of 14, two felony counts of oral copulation of a child under the age of 10, and one felony count of possession of child pornography. He also faces one felony count of using a minor for sex acts, two felony counts of distributing pornography to a minor for the purpose of engaging in sexual conduct, and one felony count of an attempted lewd or lascivious act with a minor under the age of 14.
A jury convicted Zakrzewski of all 34 felonies.
The crimes were committed between January 1, 2014 and May 17, 2019. He faces 690 years to life plus eight years when he is sentenced on November 17, 2023 at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana in Department C30.
In early May 2019, a Laguna Beach couple reported to Laguna Beach Police that their babysitter, Zakrzewski, had touched their eight-year-old son inappropriately and was concerned for the safety of their son and potentially other children.
The couple had hired Zakrzewski to care for their eight-year-old child through one of his several babysitting websites. The Laguna Beach Police Department’s Major Crimes & Intelligence Unit immediately opened an investigation, which led to the identification of a second seven-year-old victim in the City of Los Angeles, and ten more boys from across Southern California.
“These young boys were forced to endure unimaginable terror as a result of the ultimate betrayal by a babysitter,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “These parents thought they were hiring a trusted caregiver for their children while they went on family vacations, date nights, and for other childcare needs; instead they were unknowingly letting a monster walk into their homes and prey upon their innocent children in the vilest way. I am incredibly proud of the young victims who bravely took the stand to testify against their abuser, the parents who were by their side every step of the way, and the parents who testified themselves. By standing up to this predator and telling the truth about what he did, they are ensuring that the voices of the victims of sexual assault are being heard while they are protecting other children from being victimized.”
Senior Deputy District Attorney Juliet Oliver of the Sexual Assault Unit is prosecuting this case.
