Harvey County man gets 25 years for sex crimes involving child under 10
A Harvey County man was sentenced last week to 25 years in prison for committing sex crimes against a child younger than 10.
Matthew Ratzlaff, 39, of Burrton, pleaded guilty in August to one count of kidnapping and two counts of aggravated indecent solicitation of a child, Harvey County Attorney Heather Figger said. On Oct. 8, Senior Judge Nancy Parrish ordered he serve 301 months in prison.
When he is released from prison, he will be supervised and must register as a sex offender for life, Figger said in a news release Monday announcing the sentence.
“Sex crimes committed against children in our community are some of the most terrible crimes we see committed and my office is dedicated to holding the offenders accountable while achieving justice for the most vulnerable members of our community,” Figger said in the release.
At the time of the child sex crimes, Ratzlaff was already on post-release supervision for a prior conviction. He has an extensive criminal history and has spent time in prison for burglary, financial crimes and theft in Barber, Harvey, McPherson, Pratt and Reno counties, Kansas Department of Corrections records show.
The Halstead Police Department, the Halstead-Bentley public school district and the Heart to Heart Child Advocacy Center in Newton assisted with the case, Figger said.
