NORMAN, OK – Matthew Robert Austin, an 18-year-old from Oklahoma, is facing multiple charges stemming from two separate incidents. Prior to his recent arrest, Austin was already under investigation for the alleged sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl. His arrest, however, was unrelated to this case and occurred near the home of his former girlfriend. At the time of his arrest, Austin was found with latex gloves and a painter’s mask in a Home Depot bag, leading authorities to believe he intended to harm his ex-girlfriend and her mother.
The arrest was carried out by the Norman Police Department after several individuals who knew Austin reported his threats against his ex-girlfriend and her family. Upon his arrest on July 18, Austin was found with the aforementioned items. He confessed to making the threats and also informed the officers about the ongoing investigation by the Moore Police Department regarding the alleged sexual assault of a different 14-year-old girl.
Austin admitted to having sexual relations with the 14-year-old girl, but claimed he believed she was 19. The arrest warrant, issued on August 1, reveals that the girl’s mother, referred to as “TL” in the documents, reported the assault to the Moore Police Department on July 14. She provided the police with text messages exchanged between Austin and her daughter.
According to the police, TL met Austin through their church and exchanged numbers with him while dining at a restaurant where he was employed. Austin allegedly told TL he was 16, despite being 18. TL reported that Austin visited her home in July, forced himself on her, and sexually assaulted her. She also mentioned that Austin had asked her to keep their relationship a secret due to their age difference.
Local CBS affiliate KWTV reported that witnesses described Austin’s detailed plan to kill his ex-girlfriend and her mother. He allegedly told the witnesses that his ex-girlfriend was “ruining his life” and that he planned to stab them to prevent them from screaming. The witnesses alerted the Norman Police, who apprehended Austin shortly after.
Austin was taken into custody and charged with planning acts of violence and possession of marijuana. His bond for the sexual assault charge was set at $400,000, while the bond for the violence and possession charges was set at $25,000. He also faces charges for devising a plan to cause serious bodily harm or death and intimidating or threatening a state witness, with a bond of $5,000 for each count.