One hundred years, was the sentence given to Brian Lancaster, the former assistant director of Texas A&M University Study Abroad Administration Monday Nov. 19.
The jury took less than 3 hours to give Brian Lancaster the maximum sentence for child molestation.
Lancaster pled guilty to five counts of indecency with a child by contact, second-degree felonies that each carry a 20-year sentence each. In addition, he pled guilty to one count of indecency with a child by exposure and one count of solicitation of a child, third-degree felonies that each carry a 10-year sentence.
Many students feel betrayed by Lancaster's actions. "We're a University of respect and he did not live that out and that reflects poorly on the faculty of Texas A&M," said Becca Wilson, a sophomore sociology major.
Lancaster was arrested in January after an outcry from two sisters receiving piano lessons from his wife prompted detectives to search Lancaster's home and campus office. From the seizure of his computers, detectives found videos of him molesting the girls and others.
Authorities also found Peeping Tom footage of teenage neighbors' bedrooms and more than 20,000 downloaded images of child pornography.
Possession of such pornography brought another 102 charges for second- and third-degree felonies, for which Lancaster will stand trial on Monday.
District Attorney Shane Phelps said that because of pending litigation, the district attorney's office had no comment.
Many students were appalled as well as surprised to hear the recent news about Lancaster. "I'm shocked. It's a shame that someone who played such a prominent role as an A&M administrator in community could do such a thing," said Chris Frey, a sophomore business major.
"We really didn't play up his role in the community," said Phelps when asked if Lancaster's role as an administrator had anything to do with deciding of punishment. Regardless of his contribution to the community, Phelps said they asked the judge and jury for a harsh sentence. Judge Rick Davis then decided to make the sentences consecutive, meaning he would serve each sentence individually, back to back, as opposed to simultaneously.
Phelps told the jury, "Unfortunately, the choice here today is between Brian Lancaster and protecting society. If it is between Brian Lancaster and any child in this community, that is an easy call. We can't take that kind of chance. He has done this before."
Phelps reminded the jurors that Lancaster had been arrested in 1994 for groping a 14-year-old girl who was a member of the church at which Lancaster served as the youth pastor. The charge was brought down to a misdemeanor and he received probation. Phelps urged the jury not to give Lancaster another chance.
Not likely to be released on parole until he is 91 years old, his defense attorney has called the punishment a slow death sentence.
Defense attorneys Phillip Banks and David Barron urged jurors to grant a merciful sentence. Despite having admitted to the gravity of Lancaster's laundry list of terrible crimes, they said that with counseling, they believed he could be reformed.
"He is not a pile of dung that deserves to be cast aside as the state wants you to believe," Barron said.
"Brian Lancaster is a sick man," he said. Barron noted the severity of Lancaster's crimes but implored the jury to consider a solution other than such a lengthy sentence.
"It doesn't really matter if he can still be helped. Sometimes there's just a line that cannot be crossed. And he did it a lot," Frey said.
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