Las Vegas police officer faces 7 new charges in child-sex case
Prosecutors lodged seven new felony charges Thursday against a Las Vegas police officer accused of committing sex acts with children.
Matthew Terry, who remains free on $122,000 bail, has been indicted on 13 counts of lewdness with a child younger than 14, four counts of attempted lewdness, five counts of child abuse, one count of luring children through the use of a computer and one count of open and gross lewdness.
Deputy Attorney General Alissa Engler said prosecutors believe that Terry, 27, engaged in acts with boys dating to at least 2009, when he was a teenager.
“He was very particular in the ones he chose,” Engler said. “There was grooming that was done, and the conduct that was allowed was only to the extent the child would allow. His behavior is extremely concerning.”
Terry’s attorney, Robert Draskovich, told Chief District Judge Linda Bell that the alleged victims had been interviewed repeatedly by authorities, but “we haven’t really had our day in court to challenge (the allegations) yet. … He intends to fight these charges and maintains his innocence.”
Terry, a Henderson resident, is on unpaid leave from the Metropolitan Police Department, according to his lawyer. At the time of the arrest, Terry worked in the department’s northwest area command. He joined the force in February 2014.
A fourth potential victim, identified this month, lived in Terry’s neighborhood, Engler has said.
The boys’ allegations included Terry showing them how to masturbate, watching pornography with them, rubbing their thighs, trying to cuddle with the boys while they slept and asking to shower with them, according to his arrest report. The boys’ ages are redacted in the documents.
The arrest reports show a common thread among the alleged victims: an absence of a father figure in their lives.
While free on bail, Terry, a youth sports coach for the past five years, was ordered to have no contact with minors, nor go near any schools, parks or youth centers. On Thursday, he turned over his passport to his attorney.
Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Follow @randompoker on Twitter.
