Joplin man who used church connection to molest underage boys sentenced to 22 years in prison

A Joplin man who used his church connection to prey on underage boys was sentenced to 22 years and six months in prison Monday in Jasper County Circuit Court.

Matthew Galati, 31, withdrew his not guilty plea and under a plea bargain agreement pleaded guilty to three counts of statutory sodomy with a boy under 12 years old.

In exchange for the plea, four counts of child abuse were dismissed.

Galati used his connection with the New Beginning Church in Miami, Oklahoma to gain access to underage boys, then molested them, according to the probable cause statement. The crimes took place in 2017.

On two occasions at Galati's home, the statement said, he touched an underage boy's sex organ. On a second occasion, the boy stayed overnight with Galati, who touched the child's sex organ while the two were watching a movie.

During that same time period, according to the statement, the boy and two other underage boys were sexually touched by Galati at his home, with the four of them naked in Galati's bed. At least two of the boys were in Galati's church group.

A felony charge of first degree sodomy is still pending in Newton County, where Galati allegedly took an 11-year-old boy into a Jacuzzi and then sexually assaulted him in a room at the LaQuinta Hotel, 3320 S. Range Line on September 16, 2017.

The probable cause statement said Galati and the boy were naked in the bed when Galati performed a sexual act on the boy with his hand. Hotel staff confirmed Galati checked into the hotel on September 16 and checked out September 17.