Fayette man sentenced to 139 Years for child exploitation and molestation

A Fayette County man has been sentenced to 139 years in prison after being convicted on multiple child exploitation and molestation charges following a four-day trial.

Thomas Joseph Brandlehner was found guilty in Superior Court on October 9 of two counts of enticing a child for indecent purposes, four counts of child molestation, and 15 counts of sexual exploitation of children. Superior Court Judge Rhonda B. Kreuziger sentenced him to 139 years, and also imposed one additional year of probation.

The case began in December 2014, when two young sisters, aged 7 and 10, told their babysitter that their neighbor had repeatedly molested them. The investigation, led by Lieutenant Clint Patton of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, uncovered digital evidence during a search of Brandlehner’s home, including hard drives containing numerous child pornography images.

Brandlehner previously pleaded guilty in 2015, but that conviction was overturned last year due to a legal error in the original sentence.

Senior Assistant District Attorney Daniel A. Hiatt prosecuted the case with assistance from Victim-Witness Program Director Michelle Ivey, Investigator Ashley Lewis, and Legal Assistant Brittney Agnew.

District Attorney Marie Broder commended the verdict, saying, “The crimes committed by this man were horrific. I’m so proud of the jury, law enforcement, and my team for working so hard to make sure this defendant was held accountable. My offices will continue to fight as hard as we can to protect the vulnerable victims in our Circuit.”