"These were heinous crimes committed on the most vulnerable victims. He was their worst nightmare come true," said U.S. District Judge David L. Russell of Matthew Lane Durham.
Durham, 21, was given a 40-year sentence by Judge Russell after the jury found him guilty of sexually assaulting Kenyan orphans while on a mission trip in Nairobi, Africa. Prosecutors told the court Durham worked for the Upendo Children's Home since 2012, but targeted the neglected children between April and June 2014. He originally faced 120 years in prison, but was acquitted of three counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places after being found guilty of seven in January. Durham, who was charged when he was 19, plans to appeal his convictions as he claims he was "an emotionally vulnerable teenager" who was struggling with "sexual identity and development."
Eunice Menja, founder of the Upendo Children's Home, called Durham's actions "not only a betrayal of the Upendo mission but of the trust Upendo placed in him" as she held back tears. "Matthew has no remorse. After he got caught, he still denied." Prosecutors also said "There is a real perception among Upendo's local Kenyan community that more pedophiles lurk among the volunteers, especially the young male volunteers."
Source: NYDN
