Judge denies accused Fresno child molester’s bid for release into sex addict clinic

A Fresno attorney accused of molesting five girls under the age of 10 was denied his request for lowered bail and release into a sexual addiction clinic during a hearing Friday in Fresno County Superior Court.

Steven Matlak, 40, who specializes in business law, trusts and estates, was first arrested on July 28 on other lewd acts allegations and was free on bail. He was rearrested on Aug. 10 and new allegations were added to those previously filed.

Friday’s hearing revealed that five victims – all of whom know Matlak’s daughter – have accused the attorney. If convicted, he could face life in prison.

On Friday, Matlak’s attorneys, Roger Nuttall and Harry Drandell, asked Judge John J. Gallagher to forgo the $360,000 bail imposed on Matlak after his second arrest. They asked Gallagher to instead allow for Matlak’s limited release to the KeyStone Center in Philadelphia, which Drandell said specializes in rehabilitation for sexual addiction and compulsion. Matlak agreed to surrender his passport and wear an electronic monitoring device during his rehab stint, then surrender back to the court upon his program’s completion.

The defense said that it was necessary for Matlak to go across the country because there are not any qualified sexual addiction programs on the West Coast. Getting this treatment would not only help Matlak, Nuttall said, but also his friends and family, who are having a difficult time dealing with his arrest.

Gallagher noted that KeyStone’s success rate for rehabilitating pedophiles was not included in any court documents. He added that the rate of relapse in pedophilia cases is high.

“But there’s at least a chance of success,” Nuttall said.

Gallagher responded by saying that Matlak could have sought this help after his first molestation or at any point during the few years since, but he instead opted to seek treatment only after he was caught.

The judge added that the victims in this case – a 9-year-old, a 5-year-old, an 8-year-old and other girls – wouldn’t understand the legal terms of the defense’s proposed limited release. All they would know is that Matlak was no longer in jail. They would wonder if he was going to be waiting for them around the corner or at church.

Although Matlak is innocent until proven guilty in his criminal cases, Gallagher said, the law requires the court to assume his guilt during this particular bail hearing.

Matlak was released from jail after his first arrest when his father posted a $185,000 cash bond. Drandell said this money constituted the life savings of the Matlak family and should be a sufficient guarantee that his client would not attempt to flee prosecution.

Midori Howo, chief of the sexual assault unit of the Fresno County District Attorney’s office, asked the court to maintain the $360,000 bail. She said Matlak presented a huge risk to victims, their families and other members of the community.

Howo rejected the defense’s portrayal of Matlak as an addict.

“It is the position of the district attorney’s office that this is not an addiction,” she said. “This is a crime against little girls.”

The victims’ parents all knew and trusted Matlak, Howo said. They believed he was a good man who could never abuse children, which she said made these cases especially heinous.

Howo also noted that if Matlak really does want counseling, the defense could hire a therapist from KeyStone to meet with him in jail.

Gallagher sided with Howo, denying the request for a reduced bail.

“These acts took place in the defendant’s bedroom,” Gallagher said. “The victims were family and friends of his daughter.”

Gallagher reiterated that Matlak was facing life in prison and pedophilia is rarely corrected, adding that Matlak allegedly tried to dissuade one victim from telling anyone about her molestation. He said Matlak poses a threat to children, so his request was denied.

Matlak will return to court on Aug. 31 for a pretrial hearing.

Matlak cried as his attorneys spoke in court, as did several members of the audience. During the hearing, Howo said that parents of several of the victims were in court. Drandell noted that Matlak also had family in court, but it was unclear who they were.

The accusations began when a woman reported to sheriff’s detectives on July 27 that her 5-year-old daughter had told her Matlak photographed and touched the girl inappropriately while she was naked. The next day detectives learned that Matlak also was accused of molesting a 9-year-old girl, the sheriff’s office reported.

After Matlak was arrested and jailed, he bailed out of jail the following week.

Following his release from jail, detectives learned he had apparently victimized other children. He was then arrested on a new set of charges. Meanwhile, the investigation is continuing.

After Friday’s hearing, Howo called the cases against Matlak “every parent’s nightmare.” She added that child molestation cases are especially difficult because young children have no idea what sexual acts are. They rarely tell anyone, as they worry about getting in trouble or not being able to see their friends.

Nuttall and Drandell said in a later interview with The Bee that there was no downside to their client seeking help at the clinic. He wasn’t asking for leniency – just a way to help himself and those who care about him instead of sitting in a jail cell.

If anyone has more information about Matlak, they should call sheriff’s detective Walden O’Neill at 559-600-8203.

This story was originally published August 18, 2017 at 3:59 PM with the headline "Judge denies accused Fresno child molester’s bid for release into sex addict clinic."