A Tennessee resident has received an unprecedented sentence of 438 years for crimes involving the sexual abuse of minors.
On April 13, Sumner County District Attorney Thomas Dean revealed that 36-year-old Matthew Cody Ball was sentenced to this extensive term following his conviction on multiple charges. These included continuous sexual abuse of a child, nine counts of child rape, aggravated sexual battery, as well as rape and statutory rape by an authority figure.
Matthew Cody Ball Accused of Raping and Molesting Six Children
The case came to light in 2024 when the Hendersonville Police Department received a report indicating that Ball had engaged in inappropriate contact with a 10-year-old girl.
According to Dean, the victim gave a detailed account of the sexual abuse she endured, which spanned six years and began when she was merely 4 years old.
Following Ball’s arrest, more victims from Oklahoma and Texas emerged with similar allegations, revealing a disturbing pattern of abuse that extended over 13 years.
Although, Ball’s conviction was tied to “raping and molesting four children,” Dean said prosecutors presented evidence related to two additional victims who were unable to participate in the original trial at his sentencing hearing, presided over by Circuit Court Judge Jennifer Nichols.
“In imposing Ball’s 438-year sentence,” Dean said, “Judge Nichols cited his extensive criminal history, the nature and scope of the acts of sexual abuse perpetrated on the victims, the lasting damage his conduct caused to the victims, and the position of trust he occupied in their lives.”
Its unclear what relationship Dean had to the children. Oxygen reached out to Dean for additional comment, but did not receive an immediate response.
The 438 year sentence is the longest sentence—outside of a life sentence—to ever be handed down in the county for child sexual abuse, Dean said. He added that Ball was ineligible for a life sentence because of the time frame when he committed the offenses.
According to state law, he will be required to serve out the sentence without the possibility of parole.
“Matthew Cody Ball’s conduct in this case was disgusting and outrageous,” Dean said in a statement to WSMV after he was found guilty of the charges against him in March. “He caused immeasurable damage to these victims and the effects of his actions will continue to reverberate through their lives for years to come.”
It took the jury just 20 minutes of deliberation to convict him, according to the news outlet.
Dean said the county plans to “continue aggressively prosecuting” child sexual abuse cases and will seek “substantial punishments” for those who harm children.
