New charges filed against former Godley Police Chief; mother arrested as part of prostitution investigation
GODLEY, Texas - More charges have been filed against Matthew Cantrell, the former Godley Police Chief, as an investigation into a prostitution conspiracy continues.
In addition, his mother has been arrested for allegedly helping him monitor if arrest warrants were being issued against him and his family during the investigation.
Former Godley Police Chief's mother arrested
Regina Cantrell
What's New:
Regina Cantrell, the mother of former Godley Police Chief Matthew Cantrell, was arrested on May 4 and charged with misuse of official information.
Investigators allege Regina Cantrell informed Matthew Cantrell about the status of arrest warrants being issued for him and his wife.
An arrest warrant states Regina Cantrell allegedly checked on the status of active warrants in March and Apr. 2026, before Matthew Cantrell's home was raided by officials in relation to a prostitution conspiracy investigation.
Regina had been employed at the Johnson County Jail as a corrections officer.
New charges against Matthew Cantrell
Matthew Cantrell Apr. 27 mugshot
Investigators received multiple independent claims during their investigation into Matthew Cantrell that he used his authority as Godley Chief of Police to harass and sexually assault a female victim.
The victim told investigators that Cantrell began harassing her in 2012 after he initially assisted her in an investigation at her home.
According to an arrest affidavit, Cantrell would send the victim unwanted text messages, drive past her residence and flash the lights of his police car, touch her inappropriately and make sexually explicit comments towards her.
The affidavit alleges Cantrell had members of the Godley Police Department pull the victim over when she had done nothing wrong. Cantrell told officers the victim was an informant for him, which the victim denies.
The victim stated she felt no alternative but to engage in sexual intercourse with Cantrell to stop the unwanted advances, with the incident taking place in July 2016.
Cantrell now faces two charges of sexual assault stemming from the incident.
Godley prostitution investigation
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Prostitution conspiracy investigation sees Godley police officers arrested; co-defendant maintains innocence
Multiple former Godley police officers have been arrested in connection to a prostitution conspiracy investigation, although the wife and co-defendant of one of the suspects maintains his and her innocence.
The backstory:
Matthew and Regina Cantrell's arrests bring the total of people arrested in connection to the prostitution conspiracy investigation up to six.
On April 8, police arrested Matthew Cantrell and two other individuals in connection with a prostitution conspiracy investigation being conducted by the Johnson County District Attorney's Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Michael Ketcherside was charged with continuous promoting of prostitution, and was later charged with racketeering. Former Godley police officer Solomon Omotoya was charged with soliciting prostitution. Cantrell faced a charge of promoting prostitution.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Godley police officers arrested in prostitution bust
Three men, including former members of the Godley Police Department, were arrested and are facing multiple charges relating to promoting and soliciting prostitution. FOX 4's David Sentendrey spoke to one of the wife of one of the suspects who was previously convicted of prostitution.
Ketcherside's wife, Ashley, was arrested on April 15 and charged with racketeering after previously proclaiming her innocence to FOX 4's David Sentendrey.
According to court documents, Ashley and Michael Ketcherside were accused of racketeering and running a prostitution scheme out of their house, where Godley police officers were reported to have frequently spent time at.
Officials also discovered that the Ketchersides and Cantrell had conspired to compile information on people they perceived to be adversaries, including members of Godley City Council, the Godley ISD school board and Godley Police officers.
Ashley Ketcherside had previously been involved in a prostitution scandal involving Godley ISD in 2023, when she was removed from a committee that decided the district's sex education curriculum after it was discovered she had been twice convicted of prostitution in 2012 and 2016.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Godley prostitution ring sees another police officer arrested
Another Godley police officer was arrested in connection to an investigation into a prostitution ring involving the city's police department. FOX 4's Amelia Jones has more on this new arrest and the re-arrest of the former Police Chief.
Matthew Cantrell bonded out of jail on his initial charge, but was re-arrested on Apr. 27 and charged with engaging in organized criminal activity.
On Apr. 29, the Johnson County District Attorney's Office confirmed that Jeremy Arbuthnot was arrested and charged with engaging in organized criminal activity. Arbuthnot is a former Godley police officer.
Both Cantrell and Arbuthnot's bonds were set at $500,000.
What's next:
The Johnson County DA's office said they do not have a date of conclusion for the investigation. The office had initially said more arrests were forthcoming.
The Source: Information in this story comes from the Johnson County District Attorney's Office and the Johnson County Sheriff's Office.