Erath County resident Brandon Marchelle Lee, 40, was sentenced on Wednesday, March 2 to 54 years in prison for the aggravated sexual assault of a child under the age of 14.
In Texas, sexual assault of a child under 14 is a first degree felony carrying a range of punishment of 5 to 99 years or life in prison.
Because he was found guilty of an aggravated offense, Lee will not be eligible for parole until he has served at least one half of the 54-year sentence.
“This case is a painful reminder that sexual perversion, manifest in the exploitation of our youth, is real and its damage lasting,” said District Attorney Alan Nash in a release. “This sentence will prevent this defendant from being around children for decades, is a measure of temporal justice for what he has done, and will hopefully help the victim and her family in the process of healing.”
Lee pled guilty to charges on December 9 of last year after a grand jury indicted him based on evidence that suggested Lee had engaged in sexual activity with a minor.
Lee was immediately remanded to the county jail after his plea, pending the March 2 punishment trial.
Evidence had been collected by Stephenville PD Lt. Jeremy Lanier and Det. Kevin Fincher who began investigation after the outcry of sexual abuse.
Following a forensic interview and examination of the victim, investigators learned that coworkers of Lee had information which implicated Lee and corroborated the outcry of the victim.
Statements from these coworkers were among a full day of testimony compiled by Assistant District Attorney Jett Smith and presented before District Judge Jason Cashon on March 2.
ADA Smith also presented testimony of Lt. Lanier and Det. Fincher as well as the mother of the victim, who described the impact the offense had on her daughter and family.
The State’s evidence concluded with detailed testimony of the victim describing a history of sexual abuse which began when the victim was 11 and continued until they told a family member at the age of 13.
The defense presented testimony of family members of Lee describing him as a hard working, kind person. Lee testified regarding his remorse and desire to have a chance to someday reunite with his family.
Lee acknowledged the truthfulness of his victim’s testimony, and admitted to the sexual abuse they described.
Lee stated that he accessed ‘deviant’ material online which fed his desires and allowed him to rationalize them as normal. A psychoanalyst also testified that the risk of Lee re-offending was statistically low in comparison to other sex offenders based on the results of psychological and physiological evaluations.
At the close of evidence, ADA Smith urged the Court to impose a lengthy prison sentence as justice for the victim and to ensure the defendant would be “incapacitated” and unable to harm other children with whom he would have contact if he were a free man.
After hearing arguments of ADA Smith and counsel for Lee, Judge Cashon announced a sentence of 54 years in prison, noting that 54 years means the victim would be a senior citizen before thay have to worry about Lee’s sentence being completed.
Judge Cashon, referencing the risk assessment presented by the defendant, further explained that the statistical risk of Lee harming children while in the penitentiary “is zero.”