FORT MYERS, Fla. — A jury found a former Cub Scout leader guilty of child pornography possession in Lee County.
Mathew Gridley is guilty on 23 counts and is sentenced to life in prison.
In Thursday's testimony, Matthew Gridley's ex-wife testified that she found "inappropriate images" of a young boy on his computer.
She also said she grew concerned over how Gridley interacted with their son while at home.
She said she confronted Gridley with her concerns, but he denied any wrongdoing.
When asked by attorneys in court if she wished she had followed up on her concerns, she said yes, and shortly afterward left the courtroom in tears.
Video evidence was expected to be shown to the jury as the day's testimony continued.
Gridley, of Lehigh Acres, was arrested in May 2019 as part of a county-wide sting operation called "Operation Safe Summer." He is charged with 20 counts of possessing the material.
Investigators say Gridley was in possession of images and video recordings of children being sexually battered.
They also say Gridley was sharing those files with others.
The Southwest Florida Boy Scouts of America removed him from his position after the revelation of his arrest.
Prosecutors have finished their closing arguments. They reviewed evidence that they say proves Mathew Gridley is guilty of all 20 counts connecting him to the possession and distribution of child pornography. @Fox4Now
— Alexandra Rangel (@alexandrafox4_) June 10, 2022
Rebuttal arguments have begun. Prosecutors say Gridley knew about the child porn files on the thumb drives found in his office. They say files recently opened on Gridley’s computer matched file names on thumb drive.@Fox4Now
— Alexandra Rangel (@alexandrafox4_) June 10, 2022
