Posted on 10/29/2003 4:55:48 AM PST by Ron H.
Radio talk show host and Fort Bend Star columnist Jon Matthews is being investigated by the Sugar Land Police Department following a complaint from a Sugar Land family that Matthews behaved indecently with a child.
A source close to the family told Fort Bend/Southwest Sun that a complaint has been filed in reference to "inappropriate sexual behavior with a child by Mr. Matthews."
The Sugar Land Police Department would not elaborate on the complaint, but confirmed the investigation is in progress.
AM700 KSEV where Matthews, a Sugar Land resident, had a talk show in the mornings, did not air his show last Friday. The station's general manager Dan Patrick told this paper that he asked Matthews to go off the air pending the outcome of the investigation.
Following a media inquiry about the complaint, Patrick talked to Matthews. Patrick said Matthews understood the situation as he told him it would not be wise for him or for the station to have him continue the show during the investigation.
Asked about the investigation against Matthews, Fort Bend Star publisher B.K. Carter said she did not know anything about it.
"Whatever it is, I am with Jon until he is found guilty," Carter said, indicating she would stick with his column.
Responding to a request for the cover sheet on the case file under the public information statute, a Sugar Land Police Department official said the request would be forwarded to the attorney-general for an opinion.
Other than confirming that a complaint has been filed in the matter, nothing could be said at this time, the official said.
Jon had taken the right side on issues that were the opposite of some powerful local liberals. He also was hard in condemning the Sugarland police department for failing to obey the law and their own departmental regulations with regard to their (recently resigned) former police chief when he was stopped for apparently driving intoxicated and not prosecuted as we would have been.
I'm by no means saying that was the reason for this allegation but worse things have happened when you step on the wrong toes in some communities.
The sad part of this is that Jon will (probably) always have this stigma attached to his name even if he is not formerly charged or is completely cleared of the allegation. Some people will only remember that he was accused. Even Dan (Goeb) Patrick said as much in an interview he gave with local FOX News Friday evening last.
My question. . . how long does an investigation like this take before charges are or are not filed? It would seem to be fairly straight forward. They either believe the allegations of the minor or they don't.
I was at one time "under investigation" by the Texas Rangers for a quadruple murder. They interviewed me twice but never said "We have finished investigating you." Since Matthews has not been charged I guess the Sugar Land Police have no obligation to publicly announce when their investigation is over.
*PING!*
As always, a FReep mail will get you on or off this Houston topics ping list.
Watch it buddy, the case is still unsolved and dead Dog Gone's tell no tales!
SUGAR LAND -- Radio talk show host Jon Matthews was off the air for the third day in a row Tuesday while authorities continued a criminal investigation concerning him.
Matthews, 59, is under investigation by Sugar Land police, but department officials have provided few details about the case.
Dan Patrick, owner of KSEV-AM 700 where Matthews hosts a weekday show from 6 to 9 a.m., said Tuesday that Matthews will not host the program until the matter is resolved.
The investigation is centered around an allegation made recently by a member of the community, said police spokeswoman Pat Whitty.
"It is an open case, we are investigating the claim. At this time, we are not at liberty to discuss any portion of the case," she said Tuesday.
The only detail Whitty would release was that the alleged incident happened in the 500 block of Rolling Mill, the street where Matthews lives.
The Houston Chronicle requested a copy of the police report under the Texas Public Information Act. State law says police departments cannot withhold basic information such as the date and location of an alleged incident and a description of the offense.
However, Sugar Land officials are asking the state attorney general for a ruling on whether the information has to be released, Whitty said.
City officials believe some parts of the police report fall under privacy and family law.
Meanwhile, Fort Bend District Attorney John Healey said the investigation is continuing but he would not offer any further information.
"It would not be fair to all parties concerned to get into the particular facts surrounding the investigation," Healey said.
Healey added that he does not anticipate a lengthy probe on the matter.
Ed Hendee was on the air Tuesday morning during Matthews' time slot and told listeners any messages they might have for Matthews would be passed on to him.
Matthews did not return a call from the Chronicle.
Bev said NOTHING about Jon in her column this week, and Jon's was not printed.
If it's politics, I would not have pulled it in Sugar Land were Jon supported the current (*$$&*$&, ^%!!&*^^%&*,%&^%$)Mayor, and where most of the city council is Republican. The DA in Ft Bend is also Republican and a good friend of Jon's. He is on Jon's show several times a year.
The bigger question is ... why are they only looking at those FOUR?
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