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	Pastor Faces Sex Abuse Charges By Rick Yencer The Star Press January 22, 2009 http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20090122/NEWS01/901220380 MUNCIE -- A local pastor accused of sexually abusing teenage boys in his congregation surrendered Wednesday night at the Delaware County jail. Matthew A. Kidd, 52 -- pastor at Freedom Point Apostolic Church, 6460 E. Jackson St. -- initially eluded Delaware County sheriff's deputies who were waiting at the church and his home late Wednesday afternoon to serve a warrant that Circuit Court 3 Judge Linda Ralu Wolf issued Tuesday. Kidd never returned home or for a Wednesday-night church service that apparently was canceled. The pastor -- accompanied by his attorney, Steven Bruce -- showed up at the jail shortly after 8 p.m., where he was preparing to post a $25,000 bond. After a three-year investigation, Kidd on Tuesday was formally charged with child molesting and sexual misconduct with a minor, both Class C felonies carrying standard four-year prison terms, and vicarious sexual gratification, a Class D felony with a standard 18-month sentence. Kidd allegedly developed a personal relationship with three teenage brothers -- at the time between the ages of 12 and 15 -- who attended his church and persuaded them to perform sexual acts or fondled them in an effort to satisfy own his sexual desires, according to a probable cause affidavit. The court documents allege Kidd instructed a 15-year-old male to fondle himself in front of the pastor, and also watched teenage boys change their clothing while on a youth group canoe trip. The pastor is also accused of giving the teens, whom he had instructed to disrobe, massages with oil at Ontario Systems, where he then worked as a product director. The alleged victims told police Kidd claimed to be inspecting their tail bones or "checking for a hernia" when he fondled them. Most of the incidents tied to the charges allegedly occurred in 2004-2005. Delaware County sheriff's investigators began looking into the allegations after the parents of the victims told authorities of Kidd's purported inappropriate behavior. County sheriff's Lt. Robert Pyle said it took a considerable amount of time to interview witnesses and gather information as the investigation led authorities as far as Louisiana, where one of the alleged victims had moved. Sheriff's investigator Nancy Marvin handled the case. An initial hearing is set for 1:30 p.m. Monday in Circuit Court 3. The alleged victims and their parents last August filed a civil suit against Kidd, alleging the pastor utilized his "position of trust" to "sexually molest and exploit" five children, including two not named in this week's criminal charges. The family -- which no longer attends Kidd's church -- claimed in the suit that the pastor "was able to exploit (the alleged victims') vulnerability and perpetrate his heinous acts on them." Also named as defendants in the suit were Ontario Systems, where some of the crimes were alleged to have occurred, and the national and state organizations of the United Pentecostal Church, formerly affiliated with Kidd's East Jackson Street church. Kidd's attorney in that case, Richard Skiles of Indianapolis, filed a document last month denying the allegations. Skiles did not return a telephone call Wednesday. Contacted after the lawsuit was filed in August, Kidd said he could not discuss the allegations. A trial date has not been set in the civil case, filed in Delaware Circuit Court 1. Contact news reporter Rick Yencer at 213-5833 or ryencer@muncie.gannett.com
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