Bradenton martial arts instructor appeals sentence for abusing student
A former Bradenton martial arts instructor is appealing his sentence after a judge sent him to prison for sexually abusing a 14-year-old student, court records show.
Judge Frederick Mercurio sentenced 25-year-old Brennon Cooper Brown in August to five years and four months in state prison, followed by two years of sex offender probation. Court records show Brown filed an appeal on Sept. 16 challenging the sentence.
Brown previously pleaded no contest to one count of lewd or lascivious battery after prosecutors said he sexually abused a teenage student he met while teaching at Ancient Ways Martial Arts Academy, his family’s martial arts school. He was also designated a sexual offender and ordered to complete mental health and psychosexual evaluations within 30 days of his release.
Court records show the case was sent to the Second District Court of Appeal in September. The Second DCA, which reviews criminal and civil cases from trial courts in Manatee and surrounding counties, will determine whether any legal errors occurred in Brown’s case.
In Florida, defendants generally have 30 days after sentencing to file a notice of appeal. Once the case is transferred, appellate judges review the trial court’s record and written arguments rather than holding a new trial.
Brown appeals sentence in sexual abuse case
Defendants who plead no contest can still appeal certain issues, such as the legality of their sentence or procedural errors during the plea.
There is no set time period for appeals to be resolved, and the process can take anywhere from several months to over a year.
An attorney representing Brown did not immediately respond to the Bradenton Herald’s request for comment.
Prosecutors said Brown met the victim while teaching at his father’s dojo, Ancient Ways Martial Arts Academy on Cortez Road in Bradenton. Investigators said Brown, then 22, began messaging the girl on Instagram and spending time with her outside the school before sexually abusing her multiple times in early 2023.
In an interview with the Bradenton Herald at the time of his son’s arrest, Boon Brown, the owner of Ancient Ways and Brennon Brown’s father, was dismissive of the charges against his son. He claimed that Brennon would be “fully exonerated” in court.
Manatee judge ordered 5 years in prison
During the August sentencing hearing, the victim told the court she wanted to make sure Brennon Brown could never be in a position to harm anyone again.
“I’m here today so my voice is heard and to stand up against the abuse and trauma I’ve been dealing with since I was 14 years old,” she said.
Prosecutor Jonathan Zachary argued Brennon Brown used his authority as an instructor to exploit the teenager, calling it a violation of power. His attorney, Jennifer Fury, described him as socially sheltered and “not predatory,” asking for leniency and a shorter sentence.
The judge rejected that request for a downward departure and imposed what he described as the “lowest permissible prison sentence” under the law.
“Even though this was the only charge on his record, the fact that he committed multiple acts of abuse negates a finding that this was a single, isolated incident,” Mercurio said.
The appeal does not say which specific issues Brennon Brown plans to raise. The case remains pending, according to court records.
Brown remains in state custody serving his prison sentence, court records show.
