Sarah Hyland’s ex & High School Musical actor Matt Prokop arrested for child abuse images stemming from assault charges
SARAH Hyland’s ex-boyfriend and Disney Channel actor Matt Prokop has been arrested on various charges including child abuse images.
Prokop, who featured in High School Musical 3 and Geek Charming was taken into police custody in Texas on Christmas Eve.
The 35-year-old remains behind bars without bail and faces numerous charges including possession or promotion of child abuse images, evading arrest or detention, and violation of bond.
According to E! News he remains at Victoria County Sheriff’s Office Jail and bail is set at $117,500.
His arrest came after he allegedly violated his bond conditions from charges filed against him in 2024.
In May that year he was arrested for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend which resulted in him being charged with aggravated assault and resisting arrest.
Prokop previously dated Modern Family star Sarah Hyland which saw her get a restraining order against him for three years after it ended in 2014.
The child actor claimed he was physically and verbally abusive to her during their tumultuous five-year relationship.
After obtaining court documents, E! News previously reported that Hyland accused him of pinning her against a car and choking her during an argument.
“His grip was so tight that I could not breathe or speak,” she said in the court docs, per the news outlet.
“I was scared and in fear for my life.”
Julie Bowen who played Claire Dunphy, Hyland’s character’s mother in ABC sitcom, was pivotal in helping her leave the relationship, she said.
Hyland claimed in the restraining order filing that the help from her co-star to leave the relationship saw Prokop threaten to kill her dog and set her house on fire.
“I don’t know if that part [of] any woman will ever be fully healed from that,” Hyland said in a rare comment about her previous relationship in 2024.
“It’s something that kind of scars her soul a little bit. It’s more so putting love towards that scar instead of hating it and ignoring it,” she told Variety.
As well as High School Musical and Geek Charming, Prokop has featured in various children’s shows including Hannah Montana and Good Luck Charlie.
After the December 24 arrest, he faces four misdemeanor charges and one second-degree felony charge for the alleged possession of child abuse images.
It is unclear when he will appear in court.
If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4452.
All calls are toll-free and confidential. Both hotlines are available 24/7 in over 170 languages.