Feeney was arrested by Norton [Massachusetts] police in February and pleaded innocent to indecent assault and battery and other charges related to an alleged incident in December 2010 not related to his casting company. He is free on $25,000 cash bail in that case, which is still pending, with a similar order to stay away from minors.
New charges for man accused of molesting boy
(Norton, Massachusetts) – A 43-year-old Minnesota man facing charges of molesting a 14-year-old Norton boy now faces similar allegations in his home state, this time involving young boys he allegedly befriended with promises of acting jobs through his casting company.
Matthew D. Feeney, of Cottage Grove, Minn. faces two counts of second-degree sexual conduct involving two brothers who were aspiring actors, according to the complaint filed in Washington County District Court.
He posted $100,000 cash bail and was released Tuesday with conditions that he have no contact with minors, Washington County Attorney Pete Orput said Wednesday.
Feeney was arrested by Norton police in February and pleaded innocent to indecent assault and battery and other charges related to an alleged incident in December 2010 not related to his casting company. He is free on $25,000 cash bail in that case, which is still pending, with a similar order to stay away from minors.
According to the Minnesota complaint, Feeney allegedly molested the boys at his Cottage Grove home on various days from May 2009 through December 2011. One boy was 9 when the alleged sexual contact began and the other was 14, according to the complaint.
Feeney, the owner and casting director of Walden Entertainment in Bloomington, Minn., befriended the boys and their parents in the fall of 2007 and became what they considered a close family friend. Feeney, whose company hires extras for movies and television productions, provided the boys with casting opportunities and acting classes, according to the complaint.
The boys would spend the night or weekends at the defendant’s home with promises of watching movies, playing video games or work, according to the complaint.
The boys told their mother about the alleged inappropriate touching in March 2012, when she was posting a photo of one of the boys on Facebook and he asked her not to post it “because he did not like people looking at his body,” according to the complaint.
The incident prompted a discussion, which led to the boys talking about the alleged sexual contact with the defendant. Neither boy knew of Feeney’s alleged conduct with the other, according to the complaint.
After The Sun Chronicle published a story about the Norton allegations in February, Feeney resigned as CEO of Walden Entertainment, according to the Minnesota Star-Tribune.
Feeney was convicted in 1992 of fourth-degree sexual assault in Aitkin County, Minn., according to the complaint. The Star-Tribune reported that he was convicted of molesting boys while he was a counselor for a church camp in Aitkin County.
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DAVID LINTON
thesunchronicle.com
