Mathew Melnar

A judge has rejected a request to shorten the sentence of a Cody man who sexually abused and secretly recorded a teenager.

On Tuesday, District Court Judge Bill Simpson ordered Mathew Melnar to continue serving a five- to seven-year prison sentence. Melnar had asked the judge to cut his time to three to five years.

Simpson, however, noted that Melnar agreed to the sentence last year and “offered no additional information or argument” as to why he should receive a lighter penalty.

Court records say Melnar, 38, had touched the teen’s breasts on multiple occasions and secretly recorded her in the bathroom with a hidden cellphone. Cody police also reportedly found many searches for illegal pornography in Melnar’s digital data.

He accepted the prison time in November as part of a plea deal with the Park County Attorney’s Office. In exchange for 17 other charges being dismissed, Melnar pleaded guilty to felony counts of voyeurism and second-degree sexual abuse of a minor.

In May, however, Melnar filed a brief motion asking that his sentence be reduced.

Deputy Park County Attorney Leda Pojman, the teenager and the teen’s mother all opposed the request.

“He [Melnar] has already gotten a reduced prison time when he came forward with a plea deal instead of spending the rest of his life in prison,” the girl’s mother wrote.

Melnar had asked Judge Simpson for a hearing, but the judge sided with Pojman — who said a hearing would re-traumatize the victim — and denied the request without one.

Echoing language from the prosecutor, Simpson noted that Melnar is being housed at the Wyoming Honor Conservation Camp in Newcastle.

“This privilege is not afforded to every inmate,” the judge wrote.

Melnar is set to become eligible for parole in October 2021, roughly two years and four months from now.