Ex-teacher gets year in jail for voyeurism

CEDAR CITY — Former teacher Matthew Scott Adams has been sentenced to a year in jail and 36 months of probation for videotaping females — including some of his students — through the windows of their homes.

Adams, 31, previously pleaded guilty as part of a plea bargain to sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony, and two counts of voyeurism by electronic means, one charge a third-degree felony and the other a class A misdemeanor. Nine other misdemeanor charges of voyeurism were dismissed.

Fifth District Judge G. Michael Westfall sentenced Adams to a prison term of one to 15 years behind bars for the sexual exploitation charge and zero to five years for the felony voyeurism charge, but suspended prison time. However, the judge imposed the year of jail time starting immediately.

Westfall also ordered that once Adams is released from jail he must undergo a psychosexual examination, get treatment, register as a sex offender and pay restitution to the victims.

While he is on probation, Adams cannot be around anyone under 18 unless accompanied by an adult. He can be around his own children if his wife is present.

Adams was fired from his teaching job at Cedar Middle School after he was arrested. Police responded to a Cedar City neighborhood in January and found Adams with a video camera. The tapes inside showed images of people who had been unaware they were being taped.

"He was taping people through openings in the windows, through the blinds and the curtains," Cedar City Police Sgt. Jerry Womack said at the time.

— Linda Thomson