Texas Mother Faces Racketeering Charges Over Alleged Prostitution Ring
A Texas mother-of-three has been arrested and charged with racketeering after authorities accused her of grooming women into becoming escorts and operating a prostitution ring from her suburban residence. The case involves a former police chief and officer, revealing a complex web of alleged corruption and illicit activities.
Arrest and Investigation Details
Ashley Ketcherside was taken into custody on Tuesday following an extensive investigation by law enforcement. Initially, her involvement was overlooked when her husband, Michael Ketcherside, was arrested on April 8 on similar charges. Prosecutors now assert that Ashley, who has two prior prostitution convictions from 2012 and 2016, was actively offering her services once again.
Court documents reveal that police in Godley, Texas—a city located approximately 30 miles southwest of Fort Worth—frequently visited the Ketcherside home. During searches, officers seized a burner phone belonging to Ashley, which contained evidence of numerous prostitution clients spanning nearly a decade.
Involvement of Former Law Enforcement
Among the alleged clients was former Godley Police Officer Solomon Omotoya, who authorities claim solicited Ashley for sex in exchange for performing yard work and other favors. This connection led investigators to former Godley Chief of Police Matthew Cantrell.
Cantrell reportedly informed police that Ashley charged around $1,000 per hour for sexual services, a figure corroborated by data extracted from her burner phone. Further investigation uncovered that the Ketchersides and Cantrell conspired to gather information on perceived adversaries, including members of the Godley City Council, the Godley ISD school board, and other police officers.
Broader Allegations and Denials
Authorities also found evidence suggesting Cantrell solicited multiple prostitutes online during his tenure with the Godley Police Department and was allegedly "pimping" out his own wife, referred to in court documents as "AC." According to records, Cantrell admitted to finding boyfriends for his wife via the KIK mobile app and being a paid subscriber to Ashley's OnlyFans account.
When questioned, AC told police her husband arranged a boyfriend named "Matt," who paid her $200 for sex, with detectives later identifying multiple transactions from a "Matt" on CashApp. Text conversations indicated Ashley had been coaching AC in prostitution or escorting techniques.
Prior to her arrest, Ashley denied all allegations in an interview with Fox 4 News, stating she is not a prostitute and has never been trafficked by her husband. She described Michael as "a great husband, an amazing father to my three kids" and expressed faith in the justice system. Ashley insisted there was "absolutely not" a prostitution ring involving Cantrell or Omotoya, while advocating that "two consenting adults should be allowed to do whatever it is that they want to do."
Previous Controversies and Current Status
This is not the first time Ashley has faced prostitution-related accusations. In 2023, she was removed from a Godley school district committee responsible for determining the sex education curriculum after her prior convictions came to light. At the time, she was still advertising on escort websites while volunteering, leading to her dismissal from other committees.
Kayla Lain, a Godley ISD Trustee who exposed Ashley's past, expressed disbelief that the issue persists three years later, stating, "If this was handled properly from Day One, we would not be where we are today." She commended the district attorney's office for taking the matter seriously.
Currently, Ashley is held on a $20,000 bond, while Michael remains in jail on a $450,000 bond for charges including continuous promotion of prostitution and racketeering. Cantrell is detained on a $100,000 bond for continuous promotion of prostitution, and Omotoya faces a $20,000 bond for soliciting prostitution.
