Matthew Tonne

Overview

Matthew ‘Matt’ Tonne, former children’s minister at The Village Church in Flower Mound, Texas (pastored by Matt Chandler), was indicted in January 2019 for indecency with a child involving sexual contact with an 11-year-old at a 2012 church camp. Dallas County prosecutors dropped the charges in August 2020 after the complainant could not positively identify Tonne.

Description

A young woman who grew up attending The Village Church accused Tonne of sexually assaulting her at a 2012 church camp when she was 11. In ongoing therapy, she first verbalized the memory in early 2018. Tonne was indicted in January 2019. In September 2020, the Dallas County DA moved to dismiss, citing that ‘despite an investigation, the complainant cannot and has not positively identified defendant as the person who committed this offense.’ Pastor Matt Chandler said Tonne — a family friend — had been fired separately for repeated drunkenness in violation of church rules. The Village Church settled a civil lawsuit brought by the family of the victim, though it denied liability.