Bakersfield man indicted on 11 felonies for child abuse, endangering their welfare and more

Matthew B. Wollin, 39, of Bakersfield, is being held in the Ozark County Jail in connection with allegations made against him including video recording a child undressing, leaving bruises and other injuries on children from physical abuse, beating their mother in front of them, providing unsanitary living conditions and other serious concerns. 

Wollin was indicted by an Ozark County grand jury of charges of sexual exploitation of a child, two counts of domestic assault, two counts of armed criminal action and four counts of abuse or neglect of a child. The 11 charges are all felonies.

He was arraigned before Circuit Judge Craig Carter on Aug. 19, and he is being held in the Ozark County Jail without bond. 

According to the probable cause statement, written by former Ozark County Sheriff’s Sgt. Justin Brown, the officer received a call from the Child Advocacy Center in Springfield on July 11, and a worker explained that she’d conducted an interview with four children regarding the alleged actions by Wollin. 

During the June 23 interview, the children reportedly told officials that they’d been living in unhealthy conditions, which included using the bathroom in five-gallon buckets, which were sometimes full of waste “ but they had to use them anyway,” according to the report. The unsanitary conditions of the buckets led to infections for some of the children, they said. 

Physical abuse was also detailed, as Woolin reportedly used a “switch” to hit the children’s hands, leaving welts. Other times, he reportedly spanked the children with a belt so hard it left bruises. 

The children witnessed Wollin beat their mother and siblings, and they also detailed witnessing drug use in the home, according to the documents. One child said Wollin showed him or her nude photos of their mother. He also reportedly hid a cell phone in the bathroom to record a child undressing. 

Wollin has another open felony case in Ozark County where he’s charged in an unrelated case with vehicle hijacking and domestic assault in connection with an incident on June 11 when he reportedly choked, hit and threatened to kill his sister before stealing her car. He was out on pre-trial release in that case when the grand jury indicted him on the new case.