<\/p>\n
Matthew Cantrell, the former police chief of Godley, Texas.<\/p>\n
Johnson County Jail<\/p>\n
A former police chief in North Texas is charged with promoting prostitution.<\/p>\n
Matthew Cantrell, who was head of the Godley police force, was arrested Tuesday, according to Johnson County jail records.<\/p>\n
The district attorney in Johnson County and Texas Department of Public Safety are investigating allegations against Cantrell involving a long-running prostitution scheme.<\/p>\n
Authorities executed a search warrant on March 31 at the home of Michael and Ashley Ketcherside. Investigators found electronic communications and storage devices containing evidence of a prostitution conspiracy with \u201cnumerous clients\u201d over the past five years, the DA\u2019s office said.<\/p>\n
The evidence also pointed to the Ketchersides collaborating with Cantrell and other officers to compile information on Godley public officials and private citizens that they \u201cperceived as adversaries,\u201d prosecutors say.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe officials known so far\u201d include members of the Godley City Council, Godley ISD school board, the former mayor and a former chief of police, the DA statement said.<\/p>\n
Cantrell became Godley\u2019s interim chief in early 2023 after the forced resignation of the previous chief<\/a> during a period of turmoil in the small town. The ousted chief accused Cantrell, who was a patrol sergeant at the time, of trying to get other officers to write up complaints about him.<\/p>\n Multiple resignations led to the temporary closing of city hall<\/a> in January 2023.<\/p>\n Cantrell was hired as police chief in Valley Mills, in Bosque County near Waco, in September 2024 and fired six months later under criminal allegations of falsifying time sheets<\/a>. In October 2025, he and another former Godley officer were indicted on charges of misusing a city credit card<\/a>.<\/p>\n Michael Ketcherside was arrested April 2 on a charge of continuous promotion of prostitution, according to Johnson County jail records. Bond was set at $250,000. There was no record for Ashley Ketcherside on Wednesday.<\/p>\n Ashley Ketcherside, a former Godley ISD committee member<\/a> tasked with helping decide sexual education curriculum, was removed from multiple positions after advertising herself online as an escort, Fox 4 reported in 2023.<\/p>\n The DA\u2019s office said \u201cother arrests are anticipated.\u201d<\/p>\n This story was originally published April 8, 2026 at 3:59 PM.<\/p>\n Related Stories from Fort Worth Star-Telegram<\/p>\n