A Rankin County man has been sentenced to nearly half a century behind bars after being found guilty of sexually abusing a child.
Matthew Gardner, 26, was sentenced Thursday to the maximum of 45 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, according to an announcement by Madison and Rankin counties’ District Attorney Bubba Bramlett.
“The maximum possible sentence is the only appropriate sentence for this pedophile,” Bramlett said.
On Sept. 19, 2023, the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department received word of a juvenile sexual assault victim. It was reported that the abuse took place at the victim’s residence, with the victim disclosing that Gardner was living at the home during the years of sexual abuse.
The victim and a sibling were interviewed by the Parker’s Children’s Advocacy Center in Pearl, with the victim receiving a medical exam at the Children’s Safe Center in Jackson. Law enforcement interviewed multiple people, executed search warrants, and collected evidence before charging Gardner.
Last April, a jury found Gardner guilty of statutory rape and gratification of lust of a child. During the trial, jury members heard from the victim, victim’s sibling, two investigators, a nurse practitioner who examined the victim, and forensics scientists. Gardner also testified on his own behalf.
“We commend the victim and her sibling for their courage in speaking up and taking a stand against this predator,” Bramlett said. “We are also grateful for the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department, the Parker Children’s Advocacy Center, the Children’s Safe Center, and the Mississippi Forensics Lab for working together to protect children in our community.”
Gardner’s sentence will be day for day without the possibility of parole or early release.
