Stanislaus sheriff’s deputy arrested, accused of years-long sexual abuse of a minor
A Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department deputy has been arrested on suspicion of sexually abusing a minor.
Early Tuesday, Sept. 26, Oakdale resident Matthew Dessert, 40, was arrested on five counts of sexual abuse of child. Sheriff’s detectives were contacted the morning before, Sept. 25, by a school counselor who reported a student had disclosed incidents of sexual abuse. Detectives responded to the school to investigate.
In the course of their investigation, detectives spoke with the teenage victim, who said the abuse by Dessert began at the age of 9 years old. The victim’s name and school will not be released, and the victim’s current age was not available, said Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Erich Layton.
Dessert voluntarily came to the sheriff’s office for an interview and was subsequently arrested and booked into jail, with bail set at $425,000, according to the release on his arrest. He has been charged with the continuous sexual abuse of a minor under 14, lewd and lascivious acts with a minor 14 or 15 years of age, penetration with a foreign object of a victim under the age of 18, sexual battery and the physical abuse of a child.
Dessert posted bail a few hours after being booked, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
He has been a patrol deputy for the Sheriff’s Department since 2014. Since his arrest, Dessert has been placed on paid administrative leave and his peace officer powers have been revoked.
This is the second Stanislaus sheriff’s deputy to be arrested on sex crime charges in as many months. On Aug. 21, custodial deputy Johnathan McClure, 45, was arrested for allegedly having a sexual relationship with an inmate. The 22-year Sheriff’s Department employee was booked on one count of engaging in sexual activity with a consenting adult who is confined in a detention facility. He has since posted posted bond on a $50,000 bail and remains on leave from the department.
The Dessert investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information regarding the case is asked to contact Detective J. Wall at 209-525-7038 or jwall@stansheriff.com.
