Former assistant tennis coach indicted on sex abuse charge

Martin B. Brien
faces one to
five years in
prison

By Mary Garrison
Tribune-Courier Features Editor
mgarrison@tribunecourier.com

MARSHALL COUNTY – The case of a former Marshall County school system paraprofessional in an alleged inappropriate relationship with a student has come before a Calloway County grand jury.

On Thursday, the jury indicted Martin B. Brien, 24, on one count of first degree sexual abuse, a class D felony that could carry a penalty of one to five years in prison.

According to the indictment, Brien allegedly “knowingly and unlawfully engaged in sexual intercourse with [initials omitted], his 17-year-old student.”

The indictment indicated the offense occurred in March of this year, at Brien’s apartment in Murray.

Brien worked for the Marshall County school system during the 2008-09 school year as the assistant girls tennis coach.

Rumors of Brien’s involvement with a female student surfaced in June, at which point Kentucky State Police launched its investigation. The Marshall County school board began an investigation of its own, attempting to make contact with both Brien and the student. Neither party returned school system phone calls.

Marshall County school superintendent Trent Lovett said after a letter was issued to Brien, the school board met with a representative to request further information.

Brien’s attorney submitted his resignation at that time, which the board accepted.

The case did not immediately appear before the grand jury, however. In a previous interview, assistant commonwealth attorney Cirris Hatfield said officials were awaiting the return of electronic media, submitted as evidence for review by the KSP crime lab. KSP trooper Dean Patterson declined to comment on the evidence after its return.

Prior to the indictment, special prosecutor David Hargrove, Graves County Commonwealth Attorney, was assigned to the case after Marshall and Calloway County Commonwealth Attorney Mark Blankenship removed himself from the case as Brien is the son of Marshall County attorney, Charlie Brien.

For this reason Marshall and Calloway County Circuit Court Judge Dennis Foust said he would recuse himself from the case.

“I’ m in the process of filing a notice of recusal to the Chief Regional Judge, Renee Williams,” Foust said. “She’ll appoint a special judge to hear the case.”

No arrest has been made following the indictment, though Brien has been summoned to appear in Calloway County Circuit Court on Oct. 26.