NAMPA (ID)
KTVB-TV, NBC-7 [Boise ID]
September 24, 2025
By Richard Rodriguez
Court records show Matthew Stephen Masiewicz, head pastor at Sovereign Grace Fellowship, was arrested on multiple counts of sexual exploitation of a child.
The head pastor at Sovereign Grace Fellowship, a reformed Evangelical Christian church in Nampa, faces a slew of charges after he was arrested for sexual exploitation of a child, court records show.
Matthew Stephen Masiewicz, 53, was arraigned in a Canyon County courthouse on Wednesday after he was taken into custody on an arrest warrant, following allegations that he had multiple photos of child pornography, some being AI-generated. The probable cause affidavit states he had those pictures on his phone and computer at the church.
Investigators began looking into the alleged crimes in August 2025, but the crimes reportedly occurred as early as March 2025, according to court documents.
The probable cause affidavit states the Idaho Crimes Against Children (ICAC) was notified on Aug. 20, 2025, after six files of child pornography were sent over Kik, an online messaging app.
ICAC officials began their investigation and traced back the email address, username and two IP addresses tied to Masiewicz and the Sovereign Grace Fellowship, court documents state.
A Canyon County judge signed a search warrant, and investigators sent a request to Kik. The affidavit states that investigators received Masiewicz’s alleged chat logs under the username “GeneralAbner,” with a group named “Church Pastors.”
Court documents state in the chat, “GeneralAbner” references using AI images to “alter images of women to make them look younger.” The document then lists the depictions of graphic images that Masiewicz is accused of possessing.
“‘GeneralAbner’ then sends a photo and says ‘daughter of a friend’ and ‘thebigmannnd’ replies, ‘oh god she’s stunning! F*** that little red dress!!! bet she had the prettiest panties on too!!’,” the court documents state.
On Sept. 23, a search warrant was issued for Masiewicz’s home and the church, records show. Authorities said child pornography was found on the laptop at the church and on his cell phone. The username General_Abner and the password of the account were found in a screenshot.
During an interview with police, documents show Masiewicz initially denied knowing the account, but quickly stood up and put his hands behind his back, saying, “I’m going to own this.”
Masiewicz admitted to using AI programs to make women look underage, but said he didn’t believe he was doing anything illegal, according to the probable cause affidavit.
During Wednesday’s arraignment, the judge overseeing his case charged Masiewicz with 12 counts of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of visual representation of the sexual abuse of children. A no-contact order was issued for all minor children, excluding his 17-year-old son.
He will be required to wear a tracking device, as the judge stated, due to his potential danger to the community.
Following the time of publication, the Sovereign Grace Fellowship Church sent KTVB a statement regarding Masiewicz’s charges:
“The Elder Board at Sovereign Grace Fellowship is grieved thoroughly by what Matt has done, and we acknowledge that this is a grievous sin and something Matt hid thoroughly. Upon hearing news of his charges, we immediately removed him from leadership in the church. We support the actions of the governing state authority in punishing Matt for his crimes, should he be found guilty in a court of law. Please be in prayer for the Masiewicz family. They were also caught completely unaware by the secret, grievous sin that was taking place in Matt’s heart and actions.
We are actively looking into any and all people who may have been affected and if anyone has any knowledge they need to share, please reach out to our church office or the elders at Sovereign Grace. The truth must come to light.”
Masiewicz’s preliminary hearing is set for Oct. 7, 2025.