Story originally printed in the Coulee News or online at www.couleenews.com
Published - Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Teacher gets six years for sexual assault of student
A former Bangor High School math teacher and athletic coach will spend the next six years in prison for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old female student in late 2005.
Matthew Weber, now 26 and of Elmwood, Wis., was also sentenced Friday in La Crosse County Circuit Court to six years of extended supervision.
“What we have here is someone in a position of trust and a position of authority who preyed upon a young girl,” La Crosse County Circuit Judge John Perlich told Weber during his two-hour sentencing.
Weber pleaded guilty April 24 to a felony charge of second-degree sexual assault of a child. He admitted to police that he had fondled the teenager and said she fondled him through his pants at his Bangor apartment and at least once in a school hallway, according to the criminal complaint. He strongly denied having sexual intercourse with the student, the complaint reported.
La Crosse County District Attorney Scott Horne said in April that a videotape showing acts of sexual contact between Weber and the student was found in his apartment.
Weber apologized Friday to the student for subjecting her to the relationship and sexual activity.
“I was the adult and should have made sure that nothing inappropriate took place but I failed at this and gave into feelings that I should have never have had,” he said.
Horne said Weber has an attraction to adolescents that makes him a risk to others.
“Mr. Weber, through his actions, affects not only the one student, but undermines the confidence we all have in the education system and our educators,” Horne said.
Defense attorney James Birnbaum said the sexual relationship between Weber and the student was consensual.
“Matt, without a doubt, is not a person who is going to cause any concern for (the victim) and certainly there’s nothing in this record that suggests that society needs to be protected because Matt is somehow a serial pedophile,” Birnbaum said.
The victim said Weber provided her with a two-way radio that he used to tell her when she should come over. She felt she had to occasionally visit Weber’s apartment to not upset him, she said.
The victim also said Weber videotaped the two of them without her knowledge and encouraged her to watch it.
Her mother deemed Weber a pedophile deserving of prison.
“He plotted and planned on how he was going to sexually assault a child instead of doing his job, which his first priority is to protect children,” she said.
The victim’s father told the court that Weber’s sexual contact with his daughter was not an “unintended mistake.”
“If you have a pre-scripted apology, just save it,” he told Weber. “I’d rather that you spend those 30 seconds in jail.”
In his defense, Weber’s oldest brother said he was a caring uncle and good brother.
“One thing I am sure of is he is not a threat to society and he is not a monster,” he said.
As part of his sentence, Weber must register as a sex offender; is prohibited from contact with the victim and her family and employment that involves children, teaching or coaching, and must comply with any recommended counseling.
Bangor School District Roger Foegen said he didn’t want to comment on the matter, but did choose to say one thing: “As a school family, we’ve moved on.”
Anne Jungen can be reached at (608) 791-8224 or anne.jungen@lee.net.
All stories copyright 2006 Coulee News and other attributed sources.