BEDFORD, NH – A Bedford man accused of secretly filming a foreign exchange student with a hidden camera is now being investigated on at least one accusation of sexual assault, according to court records.
Matthew Dion, 48, remains free on bail after Assistant United States Attorney Georgiana Konesky requested that his bail be revoked, revealing the sex assault investigation on Friday during a hearing in the United States District Court in Concord.
Dion was arrested earlier this year after the foreign exchange student living in his Bedford home reported to police finding cameras hidden in a bathroom he used, according to court records. Dion’s arrest prompted parents in his community to contact police, according to Konesky.
Dion’s two children had frequent sleepover guests and the Dion home was the center of numerous pool parties, Konesky said..
“This caused concern for parents,” she said.
Konesky said Dion was known for a house rule that all sleepover guests take showers, and one child reports that he woke to find Dion watching him in his sleep.
The criminal investigation centers one the allegation from one child who told police that he was sexually assaulted by Dion during a sleepover that took place within the last year, Konesky said. Bedford police are in the process of investigating that allegation, she said. Dion also reportedly assaulted a child he was babysitting during the 1990s, though that alleged victim has since died, Konesky said in court. The victim’s girlfriend and a relative both went to police about Dion after the arrest became public, Konesky said.
Dion’s attorney Brian Quirk said the current bail conditions that require him to live at a relative’s house, have no unsupervised contact with any children, wear an electronic ankle bracelet, and only have limited and monitored access to the internet are already sufficient.
“These conditions are also appropriate for new allegations,” Quirk said.
Quirk noted to Judge Andrea Johnstone that Dion has not been charged with any new crime, and there is still no formal report produced by Bedford police in regards to the investigation.
Dion, a former youth soccer coach, faces a 15 to 30 year prison sentence on one federal count of producing child pornography for allegedly filming the student. Konesky told Johnstone that Dion tried to cover his tracks when he became aware of the investigation.
After the student reported finding the cameras to police, investigators spoke to Dion. This took place a few days before police obtained a search warrant for his electronic devices, according to Konesky.
Konesky said while executing the search warrant, police found a microSD memory card under the seat of Dion’s car and that forensic investigators found the images on the card. Konesky said in court that investigators found that someone had tried to erase all the data on the card before it was discovered by police.
