A former associate pastor with a history of secretly taking photographs of people as they undressed in Florida was sentenced to 10 years in prison Wednesday for doing the same thing in the Granbury area and possessing child pornography.
Judge Ralph Walton sent Matthew Porter, 34, of Granbury, to prison Wednesday morning after two days of testimony in the punishment phase of his trial. Prosecutors called 20 witnesses to the stand while Porter's defense called six.Walton sentenced Porter to 10 years on each of the seven counts of possessing child porn and two years each on the eight counts for improper photography or visual recording. The sentences will be served concurrently.On Monday, Porter pleaded guilty to the 15 charges just before his trial was scheduled to start.In the Granbury area, Porter hid cameras for several months at a nursing home, his home and his former church, taking secret photos of adults and children undressing at such events as weddings and baptisms.He had been free on bail but was taken into custody Monday morning after he entered his plea.Granbury police began investigating Porter in October 2010 when a camera was found hidden in a bathroom of Harbor Lakes Plaza Nursing and Rehabilitation.Porter was later identified as a suspect after he was seen in one photo trying to adjust the camera, police said. Porter worked as a chaplain at the nursing home.Authorities later found a hidden camera at the home he shared with his parents.Porter was a volunteer associate pastor at The Church at Granbury, and he volunteered at Gateway Community Church in Granbury. He is no longer associated with Granbury nursing homes or churches, his attorney has said.Porter had been living in the Granbury area since 2008.In Florida, Porter was working as a youth minister when he was accused of videotaping students as they changed clothes at his home. He pleaded no contest to nine counts of misdemeanor voyeurism. He faced up to nine years in prison but was sentenced to 120 days in the Manatee County Jail to be followed by one year of probation after a number of people spoke on his behalf.Domingo Ramirez Jr., 817-390-7763; Twitter: @stcrime
