Sumner County, Tenn. — A Hendersonville man could face the rest of his life behind bars after a Sumner County jury convicted him on multiple charges tied to the sexual abuse of children following a multi-day trial that concluded Thursday. Police in Hendersonville, Tennessee first arrested Matthew Cody Ball on May 2, 2024 under a total of four charges, but the case later went before a grand jury as detectives asked the public for any additional information on the suspect. Later, Ball was indicted on a much longer list of accusations that equaled 43 counts of sexual assault related charges.

This week, the 36-year-old was convicted on 14 criminal counts after a trial held in Sumner County Circuit Court began earlier in the week and concluded Thursday, March 12, 2026.

According to court records, the jury found Ball guilty of nine counts of rape of a child, one count of rape, one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child, two counts of aggravated sexual battery, and one count of statutory rape by an authority figure.

Prosecutors said the convictions were tied to sexual abuse incidents that occurred over a 22-year period between 2002 and 2024.

Before the trial began, Ball had faced 43 criminal charges, most of them involving allegations of child sexual abuse. However, several counts were dismissed prior to the jury’s verdict.

Dismissed charges included 16 counts of aggravated sexual battery, nine counts of aggravated rape of a child, one additional count of rape of a child, one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child, one count of engaging a minor in sexual or simulated acts, and one count of engaging in sexual activity with the intent to have a minor view him, according to court documents.

Ball was initially arrested in May 2024 and has remained behind bars since his arrest. He was arraigned on July 19, 2024, when an attorney was appointed to represent him in the courtroom of Judge Dee David Gay.

Following pretrial proceedings, the case moved to Sumner County Circuit Court, where the trial was ultimately presided over by Judge Jennifer Nichols.

After the jury returned guilty verdicts on the 14 counts, Ball was returned to custody at the Sumner County Jail, where he will remain until sentencing. That sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 14, 2026, at 9:00 a.m.

Under Tennessee law, the crimes for which Ball was convicted carry extremely lengthy potential prison sentences. If the court were to impose the maximum sentence for each count and order them to run consecutively, the total sentence could reach approximately 780 years in prison, effectively ensuring the defendant spends the remainder of his life incarcerated.

Court records indicate the most recent incident connected to the case occurred in April 2024, which was just months before a new Tennessee law took effect allowing prosecutors to seek the death penalty in certain child rape cases beginning July 1, 2024, depending on the circumstances.

Because the offenses in Ball’s case occurred before that date, the death penalty is not an available sentencing option in this case.