Police Say Assaults Occurred at Tender Care Facility

Investigators now say also fondled other boys at the Scott Township daycare facility.

Police said Matthew Byars fondled three boys on multiple occasions at the , and also attempted to inappropriately touch a 10-year-old boy. In one case, the assaults date back to shortly after Byars began working at the daycare in 2007, said.

Byars, 25, of the North Side, now faces a laundry list of charges and is in Allegheny County Jail on $550,000 bond.

According to court documents, Byars inappropriately touched the four boys in the daycare’s classroom and bathroom. All of the boys' names are being withheld to protect their identities.

On one occasion, said Byars touched a 9-year-old boy on a stage set up in the classroom while the rest of the children were playing outside. During  another time, investigators said the boy was sitting on Byars’ lap when someone else came into the classroom. Byars then “stood up and tried to act as if nothing was happening,” according to the criminal complaint supporting his arrest.

It’s unclear how the alleged assaults were reported to police or if authorities are investigating whether any Tender Care workers knew of the incidents.

Scott police said Byars attempted to touch another 9-year-old boy at the daycare last June. The boy told police that “Mr. Matt” tried to touch his private area before the boy loudly shouted “stop it and leave me alone.”

Meanwhile, Allegheny County police are accusing Byars of fondling a 10-year-old boy in the daycare’s restroom back in 2007. The boy also engaged in sex acts with Byars in 2009, police said. Allegheny police said Byars later fondled the boy in an unidentified church “near the pulpit and under a large cross.”

Byars was suspended from Tender Care earlier this month after staff learned Pittsburgh police had charged him with fondling a 9-year-old at his North Side home. He is scheduled to appear before for a preliminary hearing on Aug. 25.