COLUMBUS, Ind. – Last week, a local man was sentenced for rape by Judge Kelly Benjamin in Bartholomew County Circuit Court regarding his actions two years earlier.
In September of 2023, detectives with the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department (BCSO), with the assistance of Adult Protective Services and Officers and medical personnel from Columbus Regional Hospital, began an investigation into Brandon Jacobs.
He was found to be engaging in sexual activity with a protected adult unable to give legal consent.
On September 12, 2023, Jacobs was charged with one count of Rape as a level 3 Felony and one count of Promotion of Human Trafficking, a level 4 Felony. He pleaded guilty to Rape as a level 3 Felony on April 21, 2025, and was sentenced on December 1, 2025.
Jacobs received a total sentence of 16 years, with 13 years to be served in the Indiana Department of Corrections, and the remaining three years suspended and spent on probation.
This conviction ensures that Jacobs is now legally considered a Sexually Violent Predator under Indiana Code section 35-38-1-7.5 and will be required to register as a sex offender for his lifetime.
A level 3 Felony in Indiana carries a possible penalty of a minimum of three years to a maximum of 16 years, with the advisory sentence being nine years.
