Daycare Employee Accused of Molesting Boy

An employee at the in Scott Township faces a preliminary hearing Wednesday afternoon on charges he molested and video taped a young boy in May.

Matthew Byars was arrested last week on multiple charges that he fondled the young boy, who was his student at Tender Care, while at his North Side home in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh police did not release the boy’s name and age in order to protect his identity.

Byars, 25, is charged with indecent assault, sexual abuse of a child, unlawful contact with a minor, indecent exposure, endangering the welfare of a child and corruption of a minor. He was released Tuesday from the Allegheny County Jail on $25,000 straight bond.

According to the criminal complaint supporting his arrest, Byars told the boy to remove his clothes and later touched his genitals. Pittsburgh police also said Byars used a digital camera to photograph and video tape the boy while he was naked. Polices said this occurred on May 7 at Byars’ North Side apartment.

Tender Care immediately suspended Byars from his position and a sign was placed on the door of the Scott Township daycare center notifying parents of the incident.

Sandy Chaban, vice president of development for Tender Care, said Byars was suspended pending further investigation "once we learned of the arrest." She did not have info as to his length of employment.

"We have never received a complaint of any kind from any parent or a complaint of any kind from any student regarding this teacher."

Prior to his hiring, Tender Care did the required background checks and those turned up nothing.

"He had no issues," she said. "Our primary focus has always been the safety of our students."

Byars is scheduled to have his preliminary hearing in Pittsburgh’ municipal court at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday.