Centertown man charged with harassing 2 teenage girls

A Centertown man has been charged with two counts of harassment for sending inappropriate messages to two 14-year-old girls.

As of Wednesday, Matthew Frye, 48, was being held in the Cole County Jail on $25,000 bond.

This is a direct result of a joint investigation by the Boone County Sheriff's Department Cyber Crimes Task Force, the Cole County Sheriff's Department and Cole County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.

Court documents show the girls met Frye a year ago while at a wrestling event at a local high school. Frye was a volunteer wrestling coach for a private wrestling club geared towards 8- to 14-year-old wrestlers in Jefferson City, including girls.

Frye introduced himself and later sent friend requests to the girls via Facebook.

Over the course of about seven months, Frye sent both girls several hundred instant messages, mostly after school, on weekends and frequently after midnight.

Frye frequently asked the girls uncomfortable questions about their experiences with boys such as kissing. He also asked if they would like to ride in his car and let him take them out for ice cream.

Frye also offered to provide private photo shoots for both girls and told them how pretty they were.

Both girls told investigators said they would never have continued to speak to Frye if it was not for his position as their wrestling coach. Both girls said they were afraid and intimidated that Frye might treat them "unfairly" if they were not "nice" to him.

On Tuesday, Frye was contacted by authorities at his residence and admitted he had communications with the girls and admitted to asking questions that may be deemed inappropriate. But he said he felt he did nothing wrong.

Investigators executed a search warrant at the residence and seized several electronic items to be examined.

Frye also admitted that in 2001 he molested a female child from the time she was 10 until she was 14.

In June, Frye was accused of texting another 14-year-old female from another state, who he met online, claiming to be a model agent and offering her a private photo shoot.