Sullivan Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Distributing, Possessing Child Porn

A Franklin County man was sentenced to 240 months in prison on charges of distribution and possession of child pornography.

Ronald G. Matheny, 62, Sullivan, pled guilty last January to two felony counts of distribution of child pornography and six felony counts of possession of child pornography.

He appeared for sentencing Tuesday, July 3, before U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Rob Livergood handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

In December 2011, Matheny surrendered to the Franklin County sheriff’s office and was turned over to U.S. marshals.

The sheriff’s office became involved in the investigation last year when a member of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) notified his department that investigators had intercepted child pornography being offered over the Internet and traced it to an Internet account at a business in Sullivan.

Matheny worked at the business, authorities said, and had used the company’s Internet access for his laptop computer.

Investigators here obtained a search warrant for the business and a home on Elmont Street where Matheny lived.

Detective Lt. Chuck Subke said in July 2010, the GBI discovered 21,500 files containing child pornography that were linked to Matheny.

“This is probably the second one (case) we’ve had with such large amounts of child porn,” Subke told The Missourian.

Similar cases against Matheny were investigated by California state authorities and federal authorities in Missouri and traced to the summer of 2010.

Subke said Matheny pleaded guilty in May 1984 in Illinois to a charge of taking indecent liberties with a child.

After being interviewed by authorities in September 2010, Matheny moved to Jackson, Tenn., where he lived with relatives until he was notified of the federal charges filed against him, Subke said.