UPDATE::Missionary Matthew Lane Durham sentenced - CNN.com

An Oklahoma missionary who volunteered at a children's home in Kenya was sentenced to 40 years in prison Monday for sexually assaulting three girls and a boy while working at the facility, according to court documents.

 

Matthew Lane Durham, 21, was sentenced to four decades in prison by Judge David L. Russell on four counts of "engaging in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places," according to court documents.

Missionary Matthew Lane Durham sentenced - CNN.com

Oklahoma Missionary Accused of Raping Children at African Orphanage Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison | KTLA

An Oklahoma missionary who volunteered at a children’s home in Kenya was sentenced to 40 years in prison Monday for sexually assaulting three girls and a boy while working at the facility, according to court documents.

Matthew Lane Durham, 21, was sentenced to four decades in prison by Judge David L. Russell on four counts of “engaging in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places,” according to court documents.

“In a span of just 33 days,” prosecutors wrote to the court, Durham “raped three girls — ages 5, 9 and 15 — at least eight times. During that same time period, he sexually molested a 12-year-old boy twice.”
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A jury found Durham guilty on seven counts of the charge in June, court records show. Russell acquitted Durham on three of the counts in January, writing that the prosecutors “failed to establish that he engaged in a ‘sexual act’ ” with the children identified in those charges.

Durham’s attorney, Stephen Jones, told CNN on Monday that he plans to appeal the court’s decision.

Oklahoma Missionary Accused of Raping Children at African Orphanage Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison | KTLA

UPDATE::‘We protect all children, no matter where they’re from,’ Edmond missionary convicted of molesting Kenyan orphans | KFOR.com

 A jury found an Edmond missionary guilty of molesting Kenyan orphans.

Matthew Durham, convicted on 7 counts, showed no emotion when the judge read the guilty verdict Friday afternoon.

Family and friends in the courtroom were visibly upset.

Since the beginning of this trial, the government said Durham preyed on the most vulnerable of victims, orphan children.

Today, prosecutors say, they got justice.
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The 20-year-old is now convicted of molesting orphan children on a 2014 mission trip to Kenya.

Prosecutors said for Durham, it was not about sex, rather, it was about power and violence.

Five of the young victims testified in a sealed courtroom against the man they once trusted.
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“If the children in the Upendo children’s home find there’s a special need such as counseling, medical, those are things we can seek in sentencing. Those are things we will seek,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Gifford said.

Durham’s attorney, Stephen Jones, told us after the trial the defendant’s family is in shock.

Obviously this was not the outcome they were hoping for, Jones said, and they plan to appeal.

‘We protect all children, no matter where they’re from,’ Edmond missionary convicted of molesting Kenyan orphans | KFOR.com

ADDENDUM::'The Devil Made Me Do It,' Claims Missionary Who Admits Raping Children

An Oklahoma teen charged with raping and sexually assaulting numerous children while volunteering at a missionary children's home in Kenya says a demon made him do it, prosecutors said on Friday.

Matthew Durham, 19, of Edmond faced a judge on Friday regarding accusations he raped up to 10 boys and girls aged 6 to 9 at the Upendo Children's Home in the capital, Nairobi, which helps care for neglected and disabled children.

According to court documents, Durham confessed to the sexual assaults when confronted by church members.

Prosecutors said Durham told a friend he had a demon named "Luke" inside him, and that Durham said "Luke" told him to sexually abuse the children.

Defense attorneys contend that Upendo missionary members coerced Durham's confession by withholding food and his passport until he conceded his guilt.

The defense also alleges that members of the children's home urged him to say he had a demon inside him during his confession.

What is sad, or maybe even pathetic, the focus from Charisma is on the alleged demon "Luke". What is frightening, some of the comments like this one:

,,,I think a mature Christian should rise up and mentore [sic] him, and I think that we should pray that God could some day do amazing works in this young man so that His glory could be put on display for all to see. That way, people who strggle [sic] with similar things might find some hope, and they may find the boldness to approach Jesus and the humbleness to let him change them.

,,,If we treat this man in a way that encourages forgiveness than it will be easier for the children to truly forgive him when they grow up and gain more understanding of what happened, which is crucial to the complete healing process. Justice has already been served. Jesus took it upon himself. After all, we are all in the position of Barabbas.

Sorry to say but, according to KFOR:

It cites text messages received from Durham’s phone, where he allegedly threatened to burn down the house of orphanage’s founder.

In a text provided by prosecutors, he allegedly said, “I’m tired of hiding from what [orphanage founder] is telling people. I control the story from now on. This is war. She better pray she’s ready when she lands.”

Addicting Info also points out that,

According to evidence presented during the Grand Jury trial, on June 15, 2014, days after the allegations against him surfaced, Durham told an unnamed friend that he was demon possessed.

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While it’s possible that Durham is suffering from some sort of mental illness, it’s far more likely that he was trying to desperately to find a way to excuse his crimes. The fact that there was no mention of “Luke the child molesting demon” before Durham was caught, is a sure sign that “the devil made me do it” was the only thing he could come up with under the circumstances.

In his 11 page written confession, Durham makes no mention of “Luke”. He describes the crimes in detail and demonstrates a clear understanding of them as well as a vivid memory of what he did and when he did it.

'The Devil Made Me Do It,' Claims Missionary Who Admits Raping Children

US missionary accused of sex abuse in Kenya blames ‘pseudo-tribal psychological voodoo’

A 19-year-old Oklahoma man accused of sexually abusing children while volunteering in Kenya is blaming his actions on “pseudo-tribal psychological voodoo.”

Matthew Durham was charged Friday in federal court with four counts of traveling to engage in illicit sexual conduct, reported The Oklahoman.

The Edmond man was accused of sexually abusing up to 10 children of both sexes, between the ages of 4 and 9 years old, while volunteering this spring at Upendo Children’s Home in Nairobi.

At least one of the victims is HIV-positive, authorities said.

Durham had previously volunteered three times at the children’s home, which was founded by a couple from Edmonds and provides neglected kids with housing, clothing, education and religious instruction.

He was accused of committing the sex acts on his fourth trip, from April 30 to June 17, when he asked to stay overnight at the children’s home.

US missionary accused of sex abuse in Kenya blames ‘pseudo-tribal psychological voodoo’