Hendersonville man facing nearly 500 years in prison after conviction for raping multiple children

HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - A Hendersonville man is facing a possibility of hundreds of years in prison after he was convicted Thursday of raping and sexually molesting multiple children, according to Sumner County District Attorney Thomas Dean.

Matthew Cody Ball, 36, of Hendersonville, was convicted of several charges after a four-day trial and only 20 minutes of jury deliberation. The charges he was convicted of include:

• Continuous sexual abuse of a child
• Nine counts of rape of a child
• Rape
• Two counts of aggravated sexual battery
• Statutory rape by an authority figure

Dean said Ball’s crimes spanned more than a decade in three Middle Tennessee counties and Texas.

On May 1, 2024, a 10-year-old told her mother that Ball had touched her inappropriately. Ball was arrested by the Hendersonville Police Department at a Nashville motel that he had fled to, Dean said.

Dean said the victim gave a “graphic disclosure” of rape and sexual molestation that Ball inflicted on her, which began when she was about 5 years old.

After Ball’s arrest became public, three more victims came forward saying Ball had raped and molested them, one of whom had reached adulthood.

“The victims disclosed rape and molestation taking place as far back as 2011 in Davidson, Dickson, and Sumner Counties as well as Texas,” Dean said.

Dean said the DA’s Office was able to charge Ball for the crimes he committed against all the victims, including those committed outside of Sumner County, under the Child Protection Act.

Ball is set to be sentenced on April 14, where he faces up to 492 years in prison without the possibility of probation, parole or early release.

Following Ball’s conviction, Dean released this statement:

“This Defendant could not have been brought to justice without the bravery of these victims, excellent investigative work of the Hendersonville Police Department, and crucial evidence gathered by Ashley’s Place, Our Kids Clinic, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s crime laboratory. I am also grateful for the efforts of Assistant District Attorneys Nathan Nichols and Parker Sewell, who fought hard to achieve justice in this case alongside Victim Witness Coordinators Jennifer Woodard and Sally Ann Pirtle, who provided valuable support to the prosecutors, victims, and their families.

Matthew Cody Ball’s conduct in this case was disgusting and outrageous. He caused immeasurable damage to these victims and the effects of his actions will continue to reverberate through their lives for years to come. My office will ask that the maximum punishment allowed by law be imposed in this case and will continue to aggressively prosecute those who harm children."