This week, a 2022 child rape case ended with a guilty plea. Brandon J. Marler was charged with sexually assaulting a minor child under the age of 12. After interviewing both the victim and the accused, Rhea County Sheriff’s Department Investigator, Rocky Potter, obtained an indictment against Marler. Marler plead guilty to child rape and was sentenced to serve 100% of a 25 year incarceration and a lifetime on the TN Sex Offender Registry upon release, maintaining the status of a violent offender.