Former Kentucky HS band director signs plea deal in federal sex offense case
A former Anderson County band director who was charged with sex crimes involving a teenage student pleaded guilty in federal court Monday.
Patrick Brady, 38, of Springfield, signed an agreement to plead guilty to a charge of sexual exploitation of children.
Brady was originally indicted in federal court in December 2023 for three charges including online enticement, receipt of a matter containing a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and production of visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, according to court documents.
Two of the three charges will be dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
Court documents state Brady engaged in the sexual contact with a 16-year-old victim he taught at Anderson County High School, between March 2022 and May 2023.
Brady and the victim communicated through FaceTime and VSCO, a social media photography app. The two exchanged texts and calls which began to include sexual interactions between them, according to court documents.
The sexually-explicit calls took place between one and four times per week — more than 20 times overall, according to federal court documents. Brady also engaged in in-person sex acts which occurred multiple times at the high school, and once in Franklin County, court documents allege.
During these conversations, Brady would instruct the victim how to pose during their calls. In federal court documents signed by Brady on April 5, 2024, he admits on two or more occasions he knowingly coerced the victim to engage in explicit conduct for the purpose of transmitting live, visual depictions.
Law enforcement began investigating Brady on May 12, 2023, and the victim provided a statement to law enforcement. Two days later, Brady communicated with a band parent who “heard (Brady) got arrested.”
Brady was originally arrested for state sex crimes in July 2023, on charges of four counts of first-degree unlawful transaction with a minor, two counts of third-degree sodomy, third-degree rape, first-degree sexual abuse, promoting a sexual performance by a minor, unlawful use of electronic means to induce a minor to engage in sexual activities and tampering with physical evidence.
When police did arrest Brady, he had deleted the VSCO app from his phone, according to court documents. Brady was suspended from employment on May 15, 2023, and was terminated Aug. 4, 2023, according to Shelia Mitchell, Anderson County Schools superintendent.
Brady is scheduled for a court appearance on the state charges Tuesday. Authorities anticipate Brady will enter a guilty plea to resolve those charges, said Commonwealth’s Attorney Hart Megibben.
For the federal charges, Brady faces a prison sentence of 15 to 30 years. He could be required to pay a fine up to $250,000 and will be on a term of supervised release that could range from five years to life.
