A former Franklin County Regional Jail guard, who was accused of sexually assaulting a female inmate, was sentenced in Franklin Circuit Court Friday.

Brandon Scott Price, 28, was originally charged with third-degree sodomy, a Class D felony, but the charge was reduced to second-degree sexual assault, a Class A misdemeanor.

Judge Thomas Wingate handed down a 12-month sentence that is probated for two years. The judge also told the defendant he had 30 days to enlist in the U.S. military.

“If you don’t enroll in 30 days, you can report to the Franklin County Regional Jail,” Wingate stated. “You are under the gun, young man. You gotta do it.”

In July 2019, a female inmate filed a lawsuit in federal court against the county and several FCRJ personnel — including Price, then-Jailer Rick Rogers and Capt. Wes Culbertson — claiming she was sexually assaulted by Price on Jan. 18, 2019.

According to the suit, Price checked the inmate’s blood pressure inside the jail to find that it was elevated, and a series of in-house treatment attempts ended with her blood pressure continuing to be elevated. Price was instructed to take her to the emergency room.

“Though Price’s shift was near its end, Price volunteered to transport (the inmate) to the hospital,” the lawsuit states. “Price transported (the inmate) alone, in violation of Jail policy and industry standards and practices.”

At Frankfort Regional Medical Center, Price remained with the inmate for five hours, the lawsuit alleges, while making “sexually-charged comments” to the inmate and mentioning his connections with a Kentucky Department of Corrections (KDOC) employee responsible for parole decisions.

The inmate was treated for high blood pressure and discharged to return to the jail. After Price restrained her in the back of the jail van, Culbertson allegedly saw Price alone with the inmate yet did nothing, the lawsuit alleges.

As Price got back in the van, he reportedly told the inmate that “Culbertson almost caught him.” The two then left the hospital.

“On the way back to the jail, Price turned on Big Eddy Road and stopped the van,” the lawsuit states. “He turned around and told (the inmate) if she performed oral sex on him, he would talk to the KDOC employee he knew about getting her released from jail earlier.”

Price then got in the back of the van, where the woman remained shackled, and sexually assaulted her. The inmate said she did not, nor could she by law, consent to the sexual act.

When Price was interviewed about the incident, he denied the allegation of having the inmate perform oral sex on him, but he allegedly said he “made a stupid mistake … I let a female inmate touch me inappropriately,” authorities reported.

Price was later arrested and posted a $10,000 bond.

“You’re getting a huge break,” Wingate said during Price’s sentencing. “You made a terrible mistake, which I know personally cost the county money.”