Matthew Porter was the youth pastor at Bethel Baptist Church in Bradenton, FL when he was caught secretly recording young Bible study students undressing in his home. He had a house sitter while on a trip to Mexico and the sitter discovered a hidden camera and reported it to police. The sitter gave police permission to search. They found cameras that Porter said were for security, but then they found recordings of the girls, ages 12 to 16. The recordings are Child Sexual Abuse Material even though he was not charged with it.
He received 4 months in jail for 9 counts of video voyeurism in Florida in 2008. He was also ordered to get counseling and not to possess video equipment. A fellow pastor said he had “no fear” that he would ever offend again.
Three years later he was caught on camera adjusting a secret camera to videotape women in the staff bathroom at a nursing home where he worked as chaplain. Further investigation found hidden cameras in the changing rooms at the churches where he served as associate pastor where he taped girls and women changing for weddings and other events.
He was sentenced to ten years in prison for secret recordings and possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material.
In 2022, he was included in the report on Southern Baptist pastors who were sexual predators.
- Herald-Tribune: Ex-pastor given jail for videos
- Herald-Tribune: Minister is again facing charges of camera planting
- Bradenton Herald: Former Bradenton youth pastor faces voyeurism charges in Texas
Author/Byline: Domingo Ramirez Jr.,