“I Was a Coward”: Former Idaho pastor sentenced to 17 Years on child pornography charges

Originally Published: 03 APR 26 15:51 ET

By Victoria Rodriguez

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    CANYON COUNTY, Idaho (KIVI) -- Former Nampa pastor Matthew Masiewicz was sentenced to up to 17 years in prison Thursday after pleading guilty to charges related to child pornography.

Canyon County District Court Judge Thomas Whitney sentenced Masiewicz to a unified 17-year prison term, with five years fixed and 12 years indeterminate. Masiewicz will serve the sentence in the custody of the Idaho Department of Corrections.

"Your actions have caused great grief and pain and embarrassment to your family and those you’ve worked with," Whitney said.

Masiewicz, formerly a pastor at Sovereign Grace Fellowship, previously pleaded guilty to four felony counts related to the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material. Nine other charges were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

Prosecutors said investigators found multiple images and videos of minors on a laptop at the church where Masiewicz worked, showing children as young as 5. They said he sent those images to others on the app Kik. Prosecutors also noted that some material involved the use of artificial intelligence to generate explicit images appearing to involve minors.

During the sentencing hearing at the Canyon County Courthouse, family and church members listened as Masiewicz admitted wrongdoing.

"I was a coward," Masiewicz said.

"I should have confessed this to my wife, I should have confessed this to my elder who's sitting over there," Masiewicz said.

Canyon County Prosecuting Attorney Gregory Swanson told the court Masiewicz struggled to acknowledge the severity of his actions. Prosecutors said Masiewicz laughed while discussing his psychosexual evaluation and attempted to shift blame.

"Apparently even mimicking a chef’s kiss when discussing it with the pre-sentence investigator," Swanson said.

Masiewicz’s attorney, Clarissa Greensmyth, pushed back against the prosecution's claims. Greensmyth argued her client showed remorse, deleted material, and reflected on his actions. She described Masiewicz as isolated, struggling with the pressures of faith and his role as a pastor.

"He can be awkward in how he expresses himself. People process extreme events differently," Greensmyth said.

"And that was really hard and all he had was his faith and prayer," Greensmyth said.

Masiewicz expressed deep remorse to the court, calling his actions a moral evil and asking for grace and mercy.

"I've lost my church community. I have been excommunicated," Masiewicz said.

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