Florida man accused of repeated sexual abuse of minor in North Carolina, wife charged with obstruction
04/09/2021 11:29 am PDT
CUMBERLAND COUNTY, N.C. (TCD) --
A Florida couple was arrested this week in relation to alleged contact with a minor child for sexual gratification purposes in North Carolina in 2018.
The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office said deputies began investigating a report in 2018 of a man who allegedly made contact with a minor child for sexual gratification purposes. Deputies said there were “several” instances of this contact in the years prior to the report.
The suspect was identified as Johnny Matney, 45. The sheriff’s office said Matney’s wife, 35-year-old Jennifer Matney, “knew of these events and not only failed to notify law enforcement but took affirmative steps to conceal the crime.”
Cumberland County Sheriff’s detectives traveled to Brevard County, Florida, on April 5, and arrested the couple.
Johnny Matney was charged with five counts of indecent liberties with a child, obstruction of justice, and felony conspiracy. Jennifer Matney was charged with two counts of obstruction of justice, and felony conspiracy.
Johnny Matney was held on $200,000 bond. Jennifer Matley was held on $50,000 bond.
"In 2018 there were problems in the case and enough evidence was not there to proceed. Recently evidence was presented that helped make the charge is possible," sheriff's spokesman Lt. Sean Swain told the Fayetteville Observer. "We may have been able to charge in 2018 but we would not have been able to secure a conviction in court."
The Observer reports arrest warrants in the case allege Johnny Matney abused a girl under the age of 16 between March 2016 and December 2018. Warrants also claim Jennifer Matney sent text messages and sought to coach the victim on what to say to law enforcement, according to the Observer.
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