Ex-firefighter sentenced to 30 years for sexual assault in St. Tammany nursing home [Video]

ST. TAMMANY PARISH (WVUE) – Brandon Applewhite, a former firefighter from Bogalusa, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison following a guilty plea to charges of sexually assaulting a resident at a St. Tammany Parish nursing home.

On June 25, Judge Scott Gardner imposed the sentence after Applewhite, 39, admitted to one count of Sexual Battery and one count of Molestation involving a victim with a physical or mental disability.

The case originated from an unrelated investigation outside of St. Tammany Parish, during which Applewhite’s cell phone was seized and analyzed.

Investigators found nude photographs of an elderly woman being inappropriately touched, along with text messages between Applewhite and a nursing home employee.

The messages indicated that the employee had agreed to send the illicit images to Applewhite, identifying the woman as a resident of the nursing home.

Judge Gardner ruled that Applewhite’s sentences would run concurrently, ensuring he …