GRAIN VALLEY, Mo. — A Grain Valley elementary school teacher has been charged with child molestation and sodomy of young boys at his school, prosecutors announced on Wednesday.
Matthew J. Nelson, 33, faces one count of first-degree child molestation and three felony counts of statutory sodomy in connection to the alleged attacks on the boys, ages 7 through 9.
According to court documents, Nelson – a teacher at Prairie Branch Elementary School in Grain Valley – is alleged to have touched the boy’s private areas through their clothing or directly to their skin during classroom hours, including during movie times and reading periods. In an interview with Child Protection Center authorities, one of the boys said that the alleged incidents always happened while there were other students in the classroom, but never when there were any adults around.
The parents of the alleged victims told police that they had noticed behavior changes in their children, slipping grades and unusual outbursts.
In addition, the alleged victims said that they felt safer when Nelson was “not at school,” and that Nelson would kiss them on the cheek when they would ask him about school work at his desk.
Prosecutors have requested a $250,000 cash-only bond in the case. Nelson is in custody at the Jackson County Jail.
