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      On June 3, 2025, after two days of trial, Brandon Stevens – age 42, of Janesville – was found guilty of 1^st Degree Sexual Assault of a Child.  Today, he was sentenced to 18 years in the Wisconsin Prison System – ten years in prison, followed by eight years of extended supervision.
      In 2023, Stevens’ teenage daughter came forward to report that her father had molested her about five years earlier.  She provided strong recollections and graphic details, some of which Detective Dan Schoonover of the Janesville Police Department was able to corroborate.  The District Attorney’s Office charged Stevens with 1^st Degree Sexual Assault of a Child.
      Instead of a jury trial, Stevens waived the right to jury and asked Judge Ashley Morse to hear the evidence and decide whether he was guilty.  Assistant District Attorney Alex Goulart tried the case, calling multiple witnesses, including Stevens’ victimized daughter.  After two days of trial, Morse concluded that there was enough evidence that she was convinced there were no reasonable doubts as to whether Stevens was guilty of sexually assaulting a child.
      At today’s sentencing hearing, family members spoke for and against Brandon Stevens.  Some told Judge Morse about the kind things Stevens had done, and how helpful he was to friends, family, and strangers.  Others told the court about the trauma, therapy, and suffering caused by Stevens’ molesting his daughter.
      Assistant District Attorney Goulart argued that Stevens should be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison, followed by at least a decade of extended supervision.  Goulart highlighted how Stevens was playing “the blame game,” refusing to accept any responsibility for his actions.  Stevens blamed his circumstances, blamed his victim’s mother, and blamed his daughter who he victimized.  Goulart pointed out that this was not Stevens’ first child sex crimes – Stevens was convicted of sexually assaulting a teenager when he was 22 years old and spent a few years in prison. 
      Goulart highlighted the risk that Stevens posed to the community and the cost of the trauma he inflicted.  “He flat out blames his daughter and the mother of his child,” Goulart told the court.  “This is one of the most serious offenses in the State of Wisconsin, especially when it is the Defendant’s child.  And he doesn’t have an ounce of remorse.  Any sentence less than this would diminish the seriousness of his offense.”
      Stevens’ attorney argued that he should not be sentenced to prison and should only be placed on probation. His attorney highlighted Stevens’ “challenging upbringing” and mental health issues.  He also pointed out that Stevens’ first offense was when he was 22 and claimed he did not know the female was under eighteen.  This offense happened nearly a decade ago – the attorney suggested that Stevens had changed since then.  Stevens himself spoke, asking the court to “have mercy” when sentencing him.
      Judge Morse disagreed.  While she empathized with his difficult upbringing and gave him credit for the good things he had done, she told him that what he had done required prison.  She sentenced him to 10 years of initial confinement, followed by 8 years of extended supervision. 
      “Eighteen years is the sentence, and you should bear that in mind,” Judge Morse told Stevens.  “Eighteen years is the age of consent.  Anything that isn’t eighteen years, you need to keep out of your mind.”  Stevens will not be eligible for any Earned Release programming and will have to register as a Sex Offender for the rest of his life. 
      “I think the fact that Brandon Stevens had the gall to ask for probation is an absolute joke,” said District Attorney Jason Sanders, “and I’m glad he’s on his way to prison.”  Sanders applauded Goulart and Detective Schoonover of the Janesville Police Department.  “Investigating old events is difficult, and putting a victim up on the stand to prove old events is nerve-wracking.  The only way to get justice here was hard work.  Our community should be thankful we have hard workers like Detective Schoonover and ADA Alex Goulart.”


Contact: Jason Sanders, Rock County District Attorney [email protected]