MURFREESBORO, TN - An Indiana man has been convicted on a sexual crime in Murfreesboro after the case was investigated by the MPD Special Victims Unit.

Matthew E. Reed, a 55-year-old from Indiana, has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to two counts of Sexual Battery by an Authority Figure in the Circuit Courts of Rutherford County. District Attorney Jennings Jones summarized the case...

Detective Michael Yates with the Murfreesboro Police Department began the investigation into Reed in February of 2021 for a reported sexual crime that occurred one year earlier on January 1, 2020.

The defendant was originally indicted by a Rutherford County Grand Jury on four counts of Sexual Battery by an Authority Figure in July of 2021, which was when Reed's legal journey started - a journey that included multiple continuances and a granted bond approval.

Looking back, a warrant for Reed's arrest was issued on June 3, 2021 and served one month later. After his arrest he was likely eager to post bond and make the trek back to his home in New Haven, Indiana. But before tasting what would become a short-lived freedom, he had to come up with more than $100-thousand.

A month after Reed was arrested, he posted a $125,000 bond to secure his release from jail. While out of jail on bond, he was found to have violated bond conditions by traveling to Florida where he was arrested. Rutherford County Judge Barry Tidwell quickly revoked Reed's bond after learning of the defendants trip to the Sunshine State.

Once back in Murfreesboro and in the courtroom, Reed filed a guilty plea to counts 1 and 2 of Sexual Battery by an Authority Figure. As a result of his plea, Reed was sentenced to three years and one month behind bars for each count, with the sentences to run concurrently. The defendant is required to serve at least 30% of the sentence, equating to just over 11 months behind bars. Reed's scheduled release date is set for October 27, 2026, at 12 noon, but he will be eligible for parole as early as October of 2024. Currently, Reed is serving his sentence at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center on the New Salem Highway in Murfreesboro.