Watertown man faces 475 years of incarceration

Abbey Nutter, The Lebanon Democrat, Tenn.
Updated ·2 min read
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Jan. 21—After being found guilty on 24 counts that included sexual abuse against minors, Watertown's Brian Gadbois was sentenced to 475 years in the Department of Correction.

Judge Brody Kane presided over the trial and handed down the sentence on Wednesday.

Gadbois, 40, received 10 consecutive 40-year sentences, one for each count of rape of a child. He received 30 years for each of the seven counts of aggravated sexual battery, six of which will be served alongside the years for the counts of rape of a child, and one of which will be served after the rape convictions. He received three consecutive 15-year sentences for the three convictions of aggravated assault.

"In every single case where a crime is committed and the case is tried, there is always a sentencing hearing that occurs a few months after the conviction," District Attorney General Jason Lawson said. "At the sentencing hearing, the judge looks at a lot of factors. He looks at the proof that he saw at the trial. He looks at the offenses the person was convicted of. He looks at the range of punishment, which is determined by how many prior felony convictions the person has. He looks at how many separate crimes have been committed and the harm that it has inflicted on the victims."

During the trial, witnesses from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation testified about DNA and video evidence recovered from the home. Gadbois' three victims also testified.

"The most important part of this sentence is that we were able to achieve justice for the three young victims," Lawson said. "That is always our motivation. It was inspiring to me as I watched the amount of skill and man-hours put into this case by the investigators and the prosecutors. They weren't going to let this man get away with the acts that he committed. Because of their hard work, these victims will know that we did everything we possibly could to exact an appropriate punishment for what they endured."

The investigation into Dubois' crimes was carried out by the Wilson County Sheriff's Office. As part of the investigation, law enforcement took the statements of the victims, searched the defendants house and recovered surveillance footage from inside the home that was played during the trial.

"This proof in this case was disturbing," Lawson said in a press release. "It is difficult for me to understand how someone can subject a child to the treatment that this defendant did. Although it is a large sentence, it is based upon the proof and is appropriate given the facts of the case."

Gadbois has remained in custody since his arrest in 2022, and will be transferred to the Tennessee Department of Corrections to serve out his sentence.