DeSoto County District Attorney's Office

11/10/2026

Last week, members of the DeSoto County District Attorney’s Office’s newly established Special Victims Unit (SVU) attended the 2026 One Loud Voice Conference in Biloxi, Mississippi.

“Protecting our children is not just a priority, it’s a responsibility. And that commitment starts with our new Special Victims Unit, a dedicated team focused on protecting our most vulnerable, fighting for victims, and holding offenders accountable,” said District Attorney Matthew Barton.

Hosted by Children’s Advocacy Centers of Mississippi, the conference brought together professionals from across the state for specialized training in investigating and prosecuting crimes against children, supporting victims, and strengthening partnerships between agencies.

10/23/2026

Veteran Prosecutor Jamie Young Joins DeSoto County District Attorney’s Office to Lead Special Victims Unit

HERNANDO, Miss. — DeSoto County District Attorney Matthew Barton announced today that veteran prosecutor Jamie Young has joined the DeSoto County District Attorney’s Office and will lead the office’s newly created Special Victims Unit, dedicated to aggressively prosecuting child predators and other offenders who prey on vulnerable victims.

Young was sworn in as an Assistant District Attorney this week by Senior Circuit Judge Gerald Chatham.

A Hernando native and 2003 graduate of Hernando High School, Young returns to DeSoto County after nearly 16 years as an Assistant District Attorney in Mississippi’s Eleventh Circuit Court District.

During her career, Young has developed extensive courtroom experience, handling hundreds of jury trials involving violent crimes, s*xual offenses against adults and children, drug offenses, financial crimes, and property crimes.

“Jamie Young is exactly the kind of tough prosecutor we wanted leading this unit,” Barton said. “She is experienced, battle-tested in the courtroom, and understands what it takes to build difficult cases and hold dangerous offenders accountable. Most importantly, she shares our commitment to protecting children and making sure predators face the full weight of the law.”

Young will serve as the lead prosecutor for the District Attorney’s Office’s recently created Special Victims Unit, which was established with the support and funding of the DeSoto County Board of Supervisors. The specialized unit is focused on investigating and prosecuting crimes involving child s*xual abuse, exploitation, internet crimes against children, and other serious offenses involving vulnerable victims.

“This unit was created with a very clear mission: find child predators, build strong cases against them, and put them behind bars,” Barton added. “Adding a prosecutor with Jamie’s experience gives us another powerful tool to accomplish that mission."

In addition to her extensive trial experience, Young has worked with pretrial intervention programs, drug intervention court, forfeitures and seizures, and law enforcement training involving courtroom testimony and case preparation. She has also served on the board of the Mississippi Prosecutors Association and participated in numerous community outreach efforts.

Young earned her undergraduate degree from Mississippi University for Women in 2007 and her law degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 2010.

“I’m honored to join this exceptional crime fighting team,” Young said. “Leading the Special Victims Unit is an opportunity to use the experience I have gained in my career to stand up for victims, protect children, and hold offenders accountable.”

10/21/2026

10/20/2026

DA SECURES RECORD 13-YEAR PRISON SENTENCE IN VOYEURISM CASE

HERNANDO, MISS. – DeSoto County District Attorney Matthew Barton announced today that his office has secured a conviction and a record-setting prison sentence against Benjamin Kegerise in a voyeurism case investigated by the Olive Branch Police Department.

Kegerise was sentenced to 13 years in prison, followed by seven years of post-release supervision, marking the longest prison sentence ever secured for a voyeurism conviction in DeSoto County.

“Those who commit these kinds of disgusting crimes deserve severe punishment,” said District Attorney Matthew Barton. “Our mission is to aggressively prosecute criminals and fight for the toughest possible sentences allowed by law, and this record-setting sentence reflects that commitment.”

The District Attorney’s Office credited the Olive Branch Police Department for its meticulous police work in bringing the case to prosecution.

While Kegerise was employed as a teacher, the District Attorney’s Office wants to make clear that none of the criminal conduct involved in this case occurred at a school, and no students were involved in any of the incidents.

09/25/2026

09/22/2026

Please join us in welcoming Kendall Akerson to the District Attorney’s Office. Kendall brings an extensive background in child advocacy and Circuit Court experience that will strengthen the work we do for our community.

Welcome to the team, Kendall.

09/16/2026

OPERATION PREDATOR CHECK: DA TARGETS OUT-OF-COMPLIANCE S*X OFFENDERS

Since taking office, the DeSoto County District Attorney’s Office has secured 82 failure-to-register convictions involving 96 convicted counts, according to office figures compiled as part of its ongoing enforcement review.

“Sex offender registration laws exist for one reason: to protect the public, especially our children,” District Attorney Matthew Barton said. “If a registered s*x offender chooses to ignore those requirements and tries to disappear from us, we are going to find them, prosecute them and hold them accountable.

“Compliance is not optional in DeSoto County,” Barton continued.

The 96 convicted counts represent a 68 percent increase due to the enhanced efforts of the DA’s office, prosecutors and law enforcement.

The effort, being highlighted as Operation Predator Check, focuses on prosecuting registered s*x offenders who violate state registration requirements designed to help law enforcement monitor their whereabouts and other required identifying information.

Mississippi law requires registered s*x offenders to maintain current registration information, including certain changes involving residence, employment, vehicles and other required information.

The District Attorney’s Office has made enforcement of s*x-offender registration laws a continued public-safety priority since Barton took office in January 2024.

In 2024, the office announced 58 felony indictments as part of an earlier registration-enforcement initiative, and subsequent prosecution efforts have continued to produce convictions.

09/01/2026

DESOTO COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE LAUNCHES SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT

New specialized unit made possible through partnership and funding from the DeSoto County Board of Supervisors

HERNANDO, Miss. — District Attorney Matthew Barton announced today the creation of a new Special Victims Unit within the District Attorney’s Office, a specialized effort dedicated to identifying, pursuing, and prosecuting child predators and those who exploit our most vulnerable victims.

The new unit was made possible through the support and funding of the DeSoto County Board of Supervisors and represents a significant investment in the county’s ability to aggressively pursue child predators, strengthen prosecutions, and protect children from s*xual abuse and exploitation.

“Child predators should understand exactly what this means: we are coming after you,” said District Attorney Matthew Barton. “If you prey on a child in DeSoto County, we are going to use every resource available to build the strongest case against you and fight to put you behind bars. And now we have a dedicated team to do that.”

The Special Victims Unit will provide dedicated resources focused on cases involving child s*xual abuse, exploitation, internet crimes against children, and other serious offenses involving vulnerable victims. By concentrating personnel and resources on these complex cases, the District Attorney’s Office will be better positioned to work with law enforcement agencies, develop cases, pursue offenders, and move prosecutions forward.

Barton credited Supervisor Mark Gardner and the DeSoto County Board of Supervisors for helping make the new unit possible.

“This would not have happened without Mark Gardner and the support of the Board of Supervisors,” Barton said. “Mark understood what we were trying to accomplish from the beginning and worked with us to help make it a reality. I am extremely grateful to him and the entire Board for being willing to invest in something that will directly strengthen our ability to protect our children.”

DeSoto County Supervisor Mark Gardner said investments like the Special Victims Unit are an important part of the county’s responsibility to public safety.

“DeSoto County already spends significant resources arresting, prosecuting, and incarcerating dangerous criminals, but there are few things more important than protecting our children,” Gardner said. “When District Attorney Barton came to us with a plan to dedicate additional resources specifically to these cases, I believed it was something worth investing in. If this unit helps find predators sooner, protect more children, and put dangerous offenders behind bars, then it is money well spent.”

Barton said the creation of the unit also sends a message about the priority DeSoto County places on combating crimes against children.

The Special Victims Unit is part of the District Attorney’s Office’s continued effort to strengthen the prosecution of violent crimes and crimes against children throughout DeSoto County.

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08/27/2026

MEMPHIS MAN SENTENCED TO 60 YEARS FOR KIDNAPPING, S*XUAL ASSAULT

HERNANDO, Miss. – Antonio Maben, 45, of Memphis, Tennessee, has been sentenced to 60 years in prison, the maximum sentence allowed by law, following his conviction for kidnapping and s*xual assault, the DeSoto County District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday.

“The vile and heinous acts committed by this predator have no place in any community, especially ours,” Jubera said. “I am proud of our office, and especially Special Agent Chad Gatewood, for the work that went into taking this monster out of the free world.”

Maben will not be eligible for release until he is approximately 92 years old.

The case stemmed from a horrifying attack in which a mother discovered Maben s*xually assaulting her daughter. After being confronted, Maben held both the mother and daughter at gunpoint until law enforcement intervened.

Maben was arrested on May 3, 2025. Approximately 16 months later, the case ended with a conviction and a 60-year prison sentence, reflecting the expedited work of the DeSoto County District Attorney’s Office, its prosecutors, the dispatcher and the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Department in bringing a dangerous offender to justice.

“Sexual assault does not end when the crime is over. Victims can carry the consequences of these horrific acts for the rest of their lives,” Jubera said. “No prison sentence can undo what happened, but this sentence delivers accountability and an unmistakable warning: if you commit heinous crimes like these in Mississippi, we will hunt down the evidence, prosecute you, and fight to put you in prison for as long as the law allows.”

The case was investigated by the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Department and prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Steven Jubera of the DeSoto County District Attorney’s Office.

08/06/2026

SEMINARIAN SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS IN PRISON FOR CHILD EXPLOITATION

HERNANDO, Miss. — Jonathan Tu Nguyen-Vuong was sentenced today in DeSoto County Circuit Court following his conviction of one count of child exploitation involving the possession, uploading, and downloading of child s*xual abuse material.

“Regardless of your title, position, or standing in the community, anyone who exploits children in DeSoto County will be aggressively prosecuted,” Assistant District Attorney Steven Jubera said. “Because of the full cooperation of the religious community and the swift action of law enforcement and prosecutors, this predator will now spend a lengthy sentence behind bars.”

The court sentenced Nguyen-Vuong to 25 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, with 10 years suspended and 15 years to serve. Upon his release, he will be subject to 15 years of post-release supervision and required to register as a s*x offender.

The investigation began while the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Department was conducting an ongoing investigation into the downloading and transmission of child s*xual abuse material.

During the investigation, deputies traced the illegal activity to a device located at St. Michael’s Community House in Nesbit, and Nguyen-Vuong was identified as the individual responsible for the illegal activity. Investigators discovered his computer actively uploading and downloading child s*xual abuse material while the investigation was underway.

The case was investigated by the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Department and prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Steven Jubera.