Dakota County Judge sentences child rapist to probation, no prison time

In a punishment that stunned many, Dakota County District Court Judge Jamie Cork sentenced an Apple Valley man this week to 10 years probation following his guilty plea to raping a 13-year-old girl.

Brandon Glenn Corbett, 18, pled guilty to one count of criminal sexual conduct in the third degree after raping a 13-year-old girl he met at a park in Lakeville. He later bragged about the incident on social media, court documents showed.

According to the criminal complaint, police started investigating an online persona after a witness saw a photo of Corbett and the unnamed victim on the social media platform Snapchat. The victim told police she met Corbett at the park and then went to his house where she ignored his advances for sexual intercourse. After Corbett became forceful with her, she did what he wanted because she was scared.

During the sentencing hearing, Judge Cork acknowledged Corbett’s harm to the victim but added, “you are a young man, so you can overcome this. You just need to do the work.” No victim impact statement was presented during the hearing.

Because the sentence was stayed, Corbett can successfully complete probation without serving any prison time and his case — raping a 13-year-old girl — will be deemed a misdemeanor rather than a felony. The maximum sentence available under Minnesota law is 15 years imprisonment. The judge ordered Corbett to serve 60 days in county jail as part of his sentence. Governor Mark Dayton appointed Judge Cork to the bench in 2016 and she was re-elected in 2018. Her current term expires in 2025.