FERNANDINA BEACH, FL — A 25-year-old Nassau County man faces a $6 million bond after Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) DNA analysis linked him to the violent sexual assault of a child under the age of 12.
Matthew Luke Hendricks was arrested on Thursday, July 9, 2026, by the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office. He faces three counts of Sexual Battery and one count of Lewd or Lascivious Molestation.
DNA Analysis Confirms Abuse
The criminal investigation began in March 2026 after authorities received reports that Hendricks had inappropriately touched a juvenile.
During specialized interviews, the victim—who is under 12 years old—disclosed that Hendricks pinned them down on a bed, forced them to undress, and forced them to perform oral sex.
Nassau County forensic investigators collected a sexual assault evidence kit containing physical samples from both the young victim and Hendricks. The kit was sent to the FDLE laboratory for expedited genetic analysis, and the returning forensic report confirmed a definitive DNA match to Hendricks.
Record-Setting Bond Reflects Severity
Armed with the immutable lab results, detectives obtained felony warrants and booked Hendricks into the Nassau County Jail & Detention Center, where a judge set his total bond at an extraordinary $6,000,000.
Statement from the Sheriff: Following the processing of the arrest, Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper issued a blunt assessment of the defendant and the case:
“This suspect is a disturbed individual. To do this to a defenseless child is incomprehensible. Children are among the most vulnerable in our community and we will do everything in our power to protect them from predators like this.”