DeFUNIAK SPRINGS — A 29-year-old man was found guilty of sexual battery on a person under 12 on Thursday in court.
Brandon Deshun Tate was immediately sentenced by Circuit Judge Deedee Costello to a mandatory life sentence following his conviction.
Tate was found guilty of sexually molesting a young girl for years and two other children testified that the DeFuniak Springs man touched them while they were staying at his home.
In addition to his life sentence for sexual battery, Tate received five years in prison for violating the law for protection of minors from obscenity and was designated as a sexual predator.
The investigation was conducted by the Walton County Sheriff’s Office and the Children’s Advocacy Center. Assistant State Attorney Jennifer A. Lieb prosecuted the case.