Andrew Southam/Sony BMGUPDATE: Keith Brown has just pleaded guilty today to sexually abusing his daughters when they were children. The 5 Browns patriarch is facing 10 years to life on a sodomy charge and up to 15 years for two counts of sexual abuse. Sentencing is set for March 31, however, in a deal worked out with District Attorney David Sturgill, the sentences are expected to run concurrently.
"He's probably looking at 12 to 13 years," Sturgill tells E! News but adds that "it could potentially result in a life sentence. There's no ceiling in how much time he could do."
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Big Love this is not. More like Sick Love...
The father of Utah's classical piano-playing sibling sensations the 5 Browns has been charged with sexually abused three of his daughters.
Court records reveal that Salt Lake City prosecutors filed charges on Feb. 10 against Keith Brown for allegedly sodomizing and sexually abusing three individuals. Although the state withheld the names given the victim's minor status at the times the crimes were committed, Brown's daughters have stepped forward with the gut-churning claims.
Desirae, 32, Deondra, 30, and Melody, 26, issued a joint statement revealing the secret the Mormon family has kept all these years—that their father abused them when they were kids.
"We can confirm that Keith Brown has been charged with sexual abuse involving his daughters," wrote Kimball Thomson, a spokesman for The 5 Browns, in a statement first published by the Salt Lake City Tribune.
An insider close to the family told the newspaper that the sisters decided to go public with the horrifying revelations and are cooperating with authorities after learning that their dad planned to return to managing up-and-coming child musicians.
According to the Salt Lake City District Attorney's Office, the 55-year-old Brown faces one count of first-degree felony sodomy upon a child and two counts of second-degree felony sexual abuse of a child. The alleged abuse took place with a child under the age of 14 between November 1990 and October 1992 and also involved a minor between March 1997 and March 1998.
Just four days after learning of the charges, Brown and his wife were hospitalized following a single-car crash, when the Porsche he was driving plunged 300 feet off a canyon embankment into a creek. Brown was reportedly speeding as the couple returned from a Valentine's Day dinner at a ski resort, and both are listed in serious condition.
A police investigation into the abuse allegations remains ongoing. Brown is scheduled to make his first court appearance later today.
Meanwhile, the 5 Browns have no intention of giving up their day jobs.
"One of the greatest sources of joy and satisfaction in each of their lives is the opportunity to share their favorite music together—and with fellow music lovers throughout the world," added Thomson in the statement. "The 5 Browns wish to thank their friends and supporters for their concern and prayers on their behalf during this trying time."
The group is next set to play Logan, Utah, on Feb. 28.
(Originally published on Feb. 17, 2011, at 9:53 a.m. PT)