Former Ga. sheriff’s investigator arrested in connection to 2020 sexual assault investigation

Mary Royse Ginther
·1 min read
2

A former sheriff’s office investigator is behind bars after officials say they learned he was the primary suspect in a sexual assault investigation.

Columbus police officials said Corey Brand was taken into custody on Friday in connection to a 2020 sexual assault investigation involving a minor.

Authorities said they first learned of the assaults against the minor in Aug. 2020.

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According to the investigation, new evidence officers recently obtained helped investigators identify Brand as the suspect.

Brand had previously been an investigator with the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office and a police officer with the Columbus Police Department. He had also been arrested in Phenix City in Dec. 2023 on child pornography charges.

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“This type of criminal behavior is absolutely unacceptable,” MSCO Sheriff Corey Joseph Brand wrote on Facebook at the time of his arrest in Phenix City. “We will continue to work in collaboration with our federal and local partners on this case. This is still an ongoing investigation that may result in more criminal charges.”

Brand has been charged with rape, child molestation, aggravated sexual battery, computer or electronic pornography and child exploitation prevention and violation of oath of office.

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