Gulfport man sentenced to 70 years for sexual battery of a child

Gulfport, Miss. (WXXV)- A Gulfport man is being sentenced to 70 years for sexual battery of a child. Matthew Hayes is also pleading guilty to tampering with evidence.

The investigation began in March 2024 when Gulfport Police responded to a sexual exploitation complaint made by a mother reviewing her teenager’s cell phone communications.

The teen’s mother observed illegal communications between her child and Hayes – he was a close family member. Investigators determined the crimes occurred over a 5-year time span. The Defendant was then confronted with these messages by investigators and ultimately admitted to sexually explicit communications with the child, but denied any sexual intercourse with her.

Hayes was sentenced to 70 years, with 40 years suspended, and 30 years to serve in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. Due to the nature of the crime, Hayes’ sentence
is not eligible for parole or early release.

Upon release from custody, Hayes was also ordered to serve 40 years on post-release supervision with MDOC. This sentence will run consecutive to a five year sentence the Defendant is currently serving from Wayne County, MS for sex offender violations associated with a prior conviction from Wayne County for Statutory Rape in 2011.