By LeaAnne Klentzman

In a surprise move Monday at what was thought to be a routine pretrial hearing, former conservative talk show host and columnist Jon Matthews pled guilty to one charge of indecency with a child; no touching, a third degree felony.

Matthews was accused of indecency with a child last October stemming from an incident at his Sugar Land home. A Fort Bend Grand Jury indicted him in November. None of the parties involved in the case were willing to go on record with the pending plea agreement. District Attorney John Healey said it would be inappropriate to comment on the plea deal currently being considered because Judge Elliott has order the probation department to complete a pre-sentencing investigation (PSI) before he will formally agree to the plea bargain. Healey did say that the parents of the victim were comfortable with the plea agreement.

Insiders tell the Star the plea bargain currently being considered and agreed upon would give Matthews seven years deferred adjudication probation, a $300 program fee, 160 hours of community service, and registration as a sex offender. His registration as a sex offender would be for all seven years of his probation and then 10 more years after completing his probation for a total of 17 years. He would also have to follow all the guidelines set forth by the sex offender program.

Of the numerous guidelines imposed on offenders he would not be permitted to live or be within 1,000 feet of a school or any place where children gather. He will be listed on the state sex offender database and address and photo will be displayed on the Internet site and local newspapers. He will have to report his home address and vehicle information to local law enforcement once a year. He will be issued a Texas driver's license that must be renewed once a year. If he visits a place three or more time over a one month period for more than 48 hours he must register there as a sex offender as well. Most offenders are not permitted contact with their minor children or grandchildren unless approved by the judge. According to law enforcement officials if any of the rules are violated his probation can be revoked.

After successfully completing all seven years of the deferred adjudication his criminal record would not show a conviction but according to the current plea, he would still have to register as a sex offender for another 10 years.