Brandyn Martin Hargrove, a former English and AP teacher at Brazoswood High School in Clute, Texas, was sentenced on August 27, 2025 to 10 years of probation and lifetime sex offender registration after pleading guilty to 12 felony counts of sexual assault and indecency with a child. The Brandyn Hargrove sentencing included no prison time. The charges arose from a roughly two-year sexual relationship with a 15-year-old female student that began in 2007.1ABC13. Former Brazoswood High School Teacher Gets Probation After Guilty Plea to Sexual Assault of Student
The 12 Felony Counts
A Brazoria County grand jury indicted Hargrove on December 19, 2023 on twelve felony counts, and she pleaded guilty to all of them:2CBS Austin. Teacher Facing 12 Sex Crime Charges
- Six counts of sexual assault of a child (second-degree felonies)
- Four counts of indecency with a child by contact (second-degree felonies)
- Two counts of indecency with a child by exposure (third-degree felonies)
In Texas, a second-degree felony carries two to 20 years in prison; a third-degree felony carries two to 10 years.3Texas Attorney General. Penal Code Offenses by Range of Punishment
How the Sentence Was Structured
Hargrove appeared before Judge Chad Bradshaw in the 300th District Court and entered her plea under a negotiated agreement.4The Facts. Former Teacher Pleads Guilty to Sexually Assaulting Student The 12 counts were split into two tracks:
- Counts 1 through 10 (the sexual assault and indecency-by-contact charges): 10 years of deferred adjudication probation.
- Counts 11 and 12 (the indecency-by-exposure charges): a 10-year prison sentence, suspended and probated for 10 years.
- Lifetime registration on the Texas sex offender registry.
Hargrove waived her right to appeal, and a protective order was filed the same day.5Texas Scorecard. Brazoria County Court Record – Hargrove Clute Police Chief James Fitch said the district attorney’s office consulted with the victim before finalizing the plea deal, and the victim spoke at the hearing.1ABC13. Former Brazoswood High School Teacher Gets Probation After Guilty Plea to Sexual Assault of Student The district attorney’s office did not respond to media requests for comment, and Hargrove’s defense attorneys, listed in court records as A. Perry and C. Clayton, declined to comment.
What Deferred Adjudication Means Here
Deferred adjudication under Texas law lets a defendant plead guilty without a formal conviction being entered, so long as they complete the terms of community supervision. If Hargrove finishes her 10-year probation on counts 1 through 10 without incident, those counts would be dismissed without a final conviction, though the charges themselves remain visible in the record. If she violates any condition, the judge can revoke the deferral and impose the full punishment range for the underlying offenses, up to 20 years per count.
The two indecency-by-exposure counts work differently. On those, Hargrove was formally found guilty and the 10-year prison term was suspended in favor of probation. A probation violation on those counts could send her to prison for the original sentence.
The Underlying Case
In September 2023, a woman in her early 30s walked into the Clute Police Department and reported that Hargrove had sexually assaulted her over roughly two years, starting when she was 15 and a student at Brazoswood High School.1ABC13. Former Brazoswood High School Teacher Gets Probation After Guilty Plea to Sexual Assault of Student The abuse began around 2006 or 2007 and continued until she was about 17, with incidents occurring off campus.6ABC13. Brazoswood Teacher Charged With Sexual Misconduct of a Minor
The roughly 16-year gap between the offenses and the report did not bar prosecution. Texas has no statute of limitations for sex crimes involving children.7Texas Law Help. Statutes of Limitation for Crimes Chief Fitch said investigators found no evidence of additional victims.8Click2Houston. Brazoswood High School Teacher Faces 12 Indictments in Child Sex Assault Case
The victim, 34 at the time of sentencing, delivered an impact statement telling Hargrove, “You saw a broken, impressionable young girl and chose to exploit her trust for your own sick satisfaction. You calculated, manipulated, and groomed me.” She also said Hargrove had once told her she “would rather see me dead than have anyone know.”9The Facts. Victim Impact Statement in Brandyn Hargrove Case
Brazosport Independent School District placed Hargrove on administrative leave on September 29, 2023, and the school board voted to fire her in January 2024.10Click2Houston. Brandyn Hargrove Topic Page She had taught English and AP Capstone research and had previously been named the school’s teacher of the year.2CBS Austin. Teacher Facing 12 Sex Crime Charges
Teaching Certificate Status
As of the August 2025 sentencing, reporting indicated that Hargrove’s Texas teaching certificate remained technically valid and that she had not yet been added to the state’s “Do Not Hire” registry for educators.11Texas Scorecard. No Prison for Brazosport ISD Teacher Guilty of Sexually Assaulting Student