Registered sex offender accused in LA is sent to prison after judge rules he violated probation
By KABC Staff
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LOS ANGELES (KABC) — A registered sex offender who was accused of targeting women across Los Angeles has been taken back into custody and sent to state prison after a judge ruled that he violated his probation.
Matthew Werner, a 48-year-old Las Vegas resident, traveled out of state without permission from probation department, marking his third probation violation, the judge said. He was ordered to serve four years in prison with credit for time served.
Werner was charged in 2023 with three counts of sexual assault, including rape, against two different women.
Werner was arrested Feb. 28 of 2023 on suspicion of a series of violations of rape dating back to 2015 in the areas of North Hollywood, Mid-City, Hollywood and Woodland Hills, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Investigators said he targeted women using social media and dating apps while using various aliases to avoid getting caught. Police identified five women who Werner allegedly assaulted in L.A.
He took a plea deal in 2023, registered as a sex offender and was placed on probation — a result that angered many of his victims. One of them spoke out on Tuesday after Werner was sent to prison.
“You don’t get to violate anyone and just walk free,” Shira Scott Astrof said. “I hope that more women come forward now that he’s in jail and he can stay there for a lot longer.”
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