Gallatin, TN – A Donelson man faces up to 90 years in prison after pleading guilty in Sumner County to multiple counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, officials confirmed Monday.
According to the Sumner County District Attorney’s Office, 61-year-old Jerry W. Matheny entered guilty pleas to 15 charges before Circuit Court Judge Jennifer Nichols. Prosecutors said Matheny purchased child sexual abuse material from a local teen in 2023, paying through Cash App after receiving explicit content via Facebook Messenger.
Matheny was indicted in November 2023 following an investigation by Detective David Langston of the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office. The case was set for jury trial this week, but Matheny chose to waive his right and plead guilty instead. Assistant District Attorney Nathan Nichols had prepared to try the case, but Matheny’s plea made a trial unnecessary. Prosecutors said they will now request the maximum sentence allowed under Tennessee law.
Under state law, aggravated sexual exploitation convictions carry no possibility of parole or early release, along with mandatory registration as a violent sexual offender. Judge Nichols revoked Matheny’s $250,000 bond, and he will remain in custody until his sentencing hearing on November 10, 2025.
District Attorney General Thomas Dean said online child exploitation has become an “epidemic,” stressing the importance of parental vigilance over children’s internet use. Dean praised Detective Langston’s investigation and credited Ashley’s Place Child Advocacy Center for support in the case.
