Timm pleads not guilty to felony sexual abuse of children
Former Polson Police officer Matthew Timm, 41, entered a plea of not guilty to a single count of felony sexual abuse of children in Polson District Court Oct. 13.
According to court records, on Sept. 7, 2023, Detective Kyle Cooper, with the Polson Police Department was contacted by a woman identified by the initials of
A.C., who is known by the detective. She indicated that she had something to report about Timm.
Detective Cooper was advised by Polson Police Chief George Simpson to have the Lake County Sheriff’s Office get involved because Timm was a member of the Polson Police Department. Lake County Sheriff’s detective Erwin Lobdell was contacted and responded to the concerns of A.C.
A.C. indicated that she and acquaintance Adam Beal were painting the kitchen of her residence when they came upon a flash drive on top of a kitchen cupboard. Beal checked the flash drive on a computer and discovered a folder labeled “special pictures” that contained a “hundred or more” images of Jane Doe naked or partially clothed.
Jane Doe resided at the residence of A.C. Timm also resided at the residence from 2017 until March 2023.
Detective Lobdell also spoke with Jane Doe, who acknowledged Timm’s behavior and indicated that Timm had been touching her in a sexual manner since she was about 12 or 13 years old. She also indicated that she had caught Timm recording her on a mobile device or tablet in the past, that she had confronted him about his behavior, and told him it needed to end. She said that the last time she caught Timm recording her surreptitiously was in 2018 or 2019. Jane Doe was born in 2001.
Agents Kevin McCarvel and David Humphries with the Montana Department of Criminal Investigations aided Detective Lobdell in the investigation. Agent Humphries indicated that he could not find a created date for all of the files on the flash drive, but the images were saved to the flash drive in 2018.
Deputy State Attorneys Stephanie Robles and Dan Guzinsky with the Attorney General’s Office represented the state at the arraignment hearing. Ben Darrow, with the Montana Public Defender’s Office, represented Timm.
Judge John Larson of Missoula is presiding over the case and set an omnibus hearing for March 21. He did not set a trial date. Timm was remanded to the custody of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. His bond is currently set at $500,000.
According to Chief Simpson, as of Oct. 6, Timm is no longer employed by the City of Polson. The officer was immediately place on administration leave after his arrest and an internal employment investigation was launched.