Zakrzewski served as a male nanny for families across Southern California
A 34-year-old male nanny is facing a maximum sentence of 690 years to life. He has been found guilty of molesting 16 boys and showing another boy pornography, according to Orange County District Attorney's Office.
Matthew Zakrzewski of Costa Mesa has been convicted by a jury of 34 felonies, 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.
"These young boys were forced to endure unimaginable terror as a result of the ultimate betrayal by a babysitter," said 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," he added.
Zakrzewski served as a male nanny for families across Southern California and called himself "the original Sitter Buddy" on his website. He also characterized himself as a "manny" who provided a variety of babysitting services, including mentorships, big brother relationships and overnight and vacation babysitting, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.
"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."
He committed these crimes 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.
It all began in May 2019 when a Laguna Beach couple reported to the 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 police 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.