Las Vegas police officer accused of lewdness killed himself
A Las Vegas police officer accused of committing sex acts with children died Wednesday of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, a week after prosecutors filed more charges against him.
Matthew Terry, 27, who was free on $122,000 bail, was found dead at a park near Hillpointe Road and Beechnut Avenue in Henderson, according to the Clark County coroner’s office and court records. He had been scheduled to face a jury in March.
In May, prosecutors said evidence was mounting against Terry and had charged him with 13 counts of lewdness with a child younger than 14, four counts of attempted lewdness, five counts of child abuse, one count of luring children through the use of a computer and one count of open and gross lewdness. Deputy Attorney General Alissa Engler has said prosecutors believe that Terry engaged in acts with boys dating to at least 2009, when he was a teenager, calling his behavior “extremely concerning.”
Terry’s attorney, Robert Draskovich, said at the time that the alleged victims had been interviewed repeatedly by authorities, but he had not been able to question them.
Last week, the prosecutor lodged even more charges against Terry, bringing the number of felonies he faced to 32.
The allegations included Terry showing boys how to masturbate, watching pornography with them, rubbing their thighs, trying to cuddle with the boys while they slept and asking to shower with them, according to his arrest report. The boys’ ages are redacted in the documents.
The police reports showed a common thread among the alleged victims: an absence of a father figure in their lives.
While free on bail, Terry, a youth sports coach for the past five years, was ordered to have no contact with minors, nor go near any schools, parks or youth centers.
Terry, a Henderson resident, was on unpaid leave from the Metropolitan Police Department, according to his lawyer. At the time of the arrest, Terry worked in the department’s northwest area command. He joined the force in February 2014.
“He adamantly maintained his innocence,” Draskovich said. “It was hard on him.”
Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Follow @randompoker on Twitter. Staff reporter Rio Lacanlale contributed to this story.