Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced that his office obtained a 295-year sentence for Brett Pendleton of Franklin County, Missouri, in connection with the sexual abuse of his eight-year-old daughter in 2018. In October, the Attorney General’s Office obtained convictions against Pendleton for Statutory Rape in the First Degree, five counts of Statutory Sodomy in the First Degree, an Attempted Statutory Sodomy in the First Degree, Child Molestation in the First Degree, Abuse of a Child, and two counts of Delivery of a Controlled Substance to a Minor.
“I want Missouri to be the safest state in the nation for children,” said Attorney General Bailey. “As Attorney General and a former prosecutor, I will work to obtain justice for victims, especially our most vulnerable. I’m proud of the work my office did in this case to do just that.”
Pendleton was indicted by a Franklin County grand jury in January of 2018. The charges stemmed from events on January 1, 2018, when he took his eight-year-old daughter to a motel room, forced her to smoke marijuana and ingest methamphetamine, and proceeded to sexually abuse her for hours. The victim was located at the motel by a family member, who took her to the hospital to report the abuse.
The Washington Police Department initiated an investigation, and the investigation uncovered evidence that corroborated the victim’s account of what had happened to her. The victim suffered numerous injuries consistent with the sexual abuse she endured. The jury heard testimony from the victim and from law enforcement officers and medical professionals who were involved in the investigation and the victim’s medical treatment. The jury deliberated for one hour before returning its verdict.
The case was tried by assistant attorneys general Tristin M. Estep and Paige K. Wheeler, and the trial team included victim advocate Carrie Boessen and investigator Rob Jauer.
At sentencing, the court heard argument from the State on behalf of the minor victim, argument from the defense, as well as a statement from the defendant, Brett Pendleton.
The court sentenced Pendleton to seven consecutive life sentences, plus 85 years, the maximum sentence authorized by law. Because life sentences are calculated at 30 years for purposes of parole eligibility, Pendleton’s sentence is calculated at 295 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. When pronouncing the sentence, Judge Hellmann informed the defendant that he had ruined the victim’s life and that this sentence ensured that he would not have the opportunity to create any additional victims.
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