jews d
in
the
Kuppe
Sentencing
Day camp counselor’s pornographic
photos bring 10 years in prison.
RONELLE GRIER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
M
Matthew Kuppe
atthew Kuppe, a former Jewish Community Center sum-
mer day camp counselor arrested for taking nude photos
of three young boys and posting them on a Russian web-
site known to be frequented by pedophiles, was sentenced to 10
years in federal prison last week.
The sentence, the result of a plea agreement reached last August
between Kuppe’s attorney, Walter Piszczatowski, and federal pros-
ecutors, was met with disapproval by U.S. Eastern District Judge
Avern Cohn, who considered it too harsh.
Cohn said the plea agreement took away his discretion to impose
a lighter sentence and criticized prosecutors for portraying Kuppe
as a dangerous child molester when there was no evidence indicat-
ing Kuppe had molested any of the children, according to reports
from those who attended the April 11 sentencing hearing, including
news organizations such as the Detroit News and Detroit Free Press.
Last August, Kuppe pleaded guilty to the felony charge of distribu-
tion of child pornography, which carries a penalty of five to 20 years.
Kuppe was arrested in August of 2014 after investigators from the
U. S. Department of Homeland Security and the West Bloomfield
Police Department discovered he had taken nude photographs of
three JCC campers between ages 5 and 7 and posted them on a
foreign website. One of the campers had been identified by name
on the site; the younger sibling of one boy was also photographed
although, unlike his brother, he was wearing clothes in the photos.
Kuppe was originally charged with six felony counts of produc-
tion, distribution, receipt and possession of child pornography
although five of the original charges, including the more serious
charge of production of child pornography, were dropped as part
of the plea agreement.
During the investigation, authorities found an online conversa-
tion wherein Kuppe graphically described having physical contact
with one of the boys; however, a subsequent investigation by the
Oakland County Prosecutor’s office failed to turn up evidence that
any molestation had occurred.
The parents of the three boys and their attorney, William
Seikaly, expressed doubts about whether Kuppe’s assertions that
he did not touch any of the boys could be believed, despite the fact
that he passed a lie detector test.
“We found we were left with so many more questions than
answers,” wrote one of the parents in their victim impact state-
ment. “Did our son experience abuse? How will this impact him?
How do we handle these delicate conversations with an innocent
5-year-old? How will we ever really know what happened to our
son at camp that summer?”
The parents’ statements, presented to the court, described how
Kuppe’s actions have impacted their families. They claim the inci-
dent has destroyed their children’s innocence and shattered their
faith in an institution they had always considered a safe haven.
They continue to worry about the potential future risks the
photos might pose to their children.
continued on page 16
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April 20 • 2017
jn