Mathew Rutgers jailed for more than two years for indecent filming and producing child exploitation material

A pervert who indecently filmed a woman and child on multiple occasions is behind bars after police uncovered his sinister secret. Find out what it was.

A creep who left a mother horrified after she found out he was secretly filming her daughter is now behind bars, with a judge urging him to seek treatment.

Mathew Kayne Rutgers, 39, was jailed for more than two years after his lawyer claimed his vile offending stemmed from his interest in voyeurism.
During sentencing on Friday, the District Court heard October 2022 police attended Rutgers’ home and seized his devices.

“In reviewing the contents they observed indecent films, of what could be described as a ‘peeping Tom’ variety,” Judge Rauf Soulio said.

Mathew Kayne Rutgers was jailed for indecent filming and producing child exploitation material. Picture: NCA NewsWIRE/Emma Brasier

The court heard Rutgers’ indecent filming offences involved him secretly filming an adult woman during sexual acts or in a state of undress on several different occasions.

He also surreptitiously filmed the second victim, who was a child, on multiple occasions.

The court heard some of the videos were shaky and there was “heavy breathing” from Rutgers in the videos, which could draw the inference that he was masturbating.

Rutgers pleaded guilty to multiple counts of producing child exploitation material and one count of indecent filming.

A victim impact statement was earlier read to the District Court by a prosecutor, with the child’s mother saying she is now constantly on high alert and no longer feels safe or protected.

“My world came crashing down in an instant – my life, the life I worked so hard to build in a safe and loving home will never be the same,” she said.

“Always in the back of my mind there may be a threat or predator lurking … I feel like the simple right of protecting and keeping my children safe in a loving home has been taken away from me.”

The woman Rutgers indecently filmed at a different location said she was left with trust issues, anxiety and anguish.

“Whenever I remember this whole situation I am overwhelmed by a profound feeling of sadness and disrespect,” she said.

“I wouldn’t wish this situation on anyone in the world.”

The court heard Rutgers was sentenced in 2014 for indecent behaviour and unlawfully on premises after he looked into a separate victim’s window while masturbating.

Matthew Mead, for Rutgers, previously told the court a psychiatrist was of the view that Rutgers doesn’t have any interest in children but rather an interest in voyeurism.

Judge Soulio said Rutgers, who grew up in Port Pirie, has expressed shame for his offending.

“It should be apparent that such offending is intrusive, an invasion of privacy and often damaging to the victims of such offending,” he said.

He sentenced Rutgers to two years and seven months jail, with a non-parole period of two years and 30 days.

The sentence was backdated to January 29.

Originally published as Mathew Rutgers jailed for more than two years for indecent filming and producing child exploitation material