Florida Teacher Who Sexually Abused Students Gets 30 Years

SARASOTA, FL — A 27-year-old former teacher at the Island Village Montessori School in Venice, Florida was sentenced to 30 years in jail Friday after pleading guilty to multiple child sex charges stemming from the sexual abuse of two of his students.

The sentence was announced late Friday night by State Attorney Ed Brodsky. In addition to the prison time, Matthew Minton was also ordered by Judge Debra Johnes Riva to be placed on lifetime sex offender probation. He will be designated a sexual predator and must comply with the registration requirements upon his release from prison.

“Minton had the opportunity as a teacher to helps students, but instead chose to exploit the students’ vulnerabilities to satisfy his own sexual need," said Assistant State Attorney Brooke Kernan, who prosecuted the case.

Prosecutors said Minton abused the children on "multiple occasions over many months at the school." He pleaded guilty in October to three counts of sexual battery upon a person over 12 years of age but under 18 by a person in custodial authority, one count of lewd or lascivious molestation of a child over 12 years of age but less than 16 and one count of prohibited use of a computer with a child.

“The young ladies in this case showed great courage today in addressing the court at sentencing," Kernan said. "The victims in this case not only stood up for themselves, but they also helped protect other unsuspecting children this defendant may have preyed on next."

Investigators discovered DNA from one of the victims on a sex toy that belonged to Minton. They also found explicit text messaging evidence between Minton and the victims along with forensic handwriting evidence from a letter written by Minton to one of the victims.

Minton was represented by attorneys Andrea Mogensen and Lisa Chittaro.