Matthew Gridley was adjudicated guilty and sentenced to life in prison, immediately after being found guilty, following a four-day trial that ended on Friday. Gridley was found
guilty as charged on all counts. He was sentenced as follows:
Count 1: Sexual Battery, Child Less Than 12 Years of Age – Life in Prison
Count 2: Lewd or Lascivious Molestation – Life in Prison
Count 3: Providing Obscene Material to Minors – 5 years in prison (the maximum allowed)
Counts 4-23: Possession of Child Pornography – 15 years on each count (the maximum allowed)
All of the sentences are to run concurrently.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) initially began an investigation in 2019 after they received information that the defendant’s IP address was advertising/sharing child pornography files on the internet. Their investigation led them to the defendant’s home, where they executed a search warrant. During the execution of the search warrant, nine different electronic devices were found which contained hundreds of files of child pornography, including photographs and videos.
During the execution of the search warrant, they also learned there was a child who had been in the residence with the defendant. FDLE’s investigation found the child had been sexually abused by the defendant. All of the evidence collected led to the defendant’s arrest.
Assistant State Attorney Natalie Savino and Lee County Circuit Court Chief, Assistant State Attorney Tyler Lovejoy, prosecuted the case.
Samantha Syoen- Communications Director, State Attorney’s Office