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Joplin man charged with sexual abuse of church youth
By Jeff Lehr
A Joplin man is being held on charges that he sexually abused three boys he knew through his involvement with a church in Miami, Oklahoma. Matthew D. Galati, 29, was arrested last week when information first surfaced regarding disclosures made by three male members of a youth group at the New Beginnings Life Church In Miami. Joplin police Capt. Trevor Duncan said interviews of the boys were conducted at the Children’s Center in Joplin, leading to the filing of charges Thursday by the Jasper County prosecutor’s office. Galati is charged with four counts of statutory sodomy with a child under 12 years old and two counts of second-degree statutory sodomy in connection with acts committed in Jasper County. But additional victims have been identified and more charges are anticipated, according to Duncan. “The initial report was three victims,” Duncan told the Globe. “But our department identified three additional victims.” Galati had access to youths through more than one church in the area, Duncan said. Consequently. investigators cannot rule out the possibility of still more victims coming forward, he said. Duncan declined to name what other churches might be affected. A news release Monday announcing the suspect’s arrest refers to “more than one church outside” Joplin. The probable-cause affidavit filed with the charges states that Galati had sexual contact with boys ages 11, 9 and 14 over the course of the past year. They are identified as members of a youth group at the New Beginnings Life Church. Two of the boys are from Afton, Oklahoma, and the third from Miami. Duncan told the Globe that the affidavit is in error as to the age of one of the boys. He said that boy is actually 11 and not 14. The affidavit indicates that most of the alleged abuse of the boys took place in Joplin. One boy told investigators that Galati initiated sexual contact with him on two occasions at a Joplin address. The first time Galati had him take his clothes off and touched him, he told investigators. The second time, Galati allegedly began touching him while they were watching a movie. The youngest of the boys reported that he spent a night there with one of the other boys when he was 8 or 9, and Galati made them both get naked and rubbed them in a sexual manner. On a second occasion, he had them sleep naked and initiated sexual contact with them. The third boy disclosed that Galati had sexual contact with him on two occasions at the address, and on a third occasion at a motel in Newton County, according to the affidavit. No charges have been filed as yet with respect to any sexual contact with minors in Newton County. Pastor Jonathan Jennings of the New Beginnings Life Church in Miami said Galati held no titled position at the church, but has been “a very active member.” He said Galati would often lend a hand when help was needed, whether that was moving furniture, conducting a youth fundraiser or supervising use of the church’s sound equipment. The pastor said the church has been in contact with authorities since the matter came to light last week and is fully cooperating with investigators. “All I know is he has been arrested and there are families hurting,” Jennings said. He said that from what he has been told by investigators, none of the abuse took place in the course of a church activity. Cash-only bond Matthew Galati remained in custody Monday night at the Jasper County Jail on a cash-only bond of $150,000. Contact: jlehr@joplinglobe.com
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