Patriarch of Piano Prodigy Family Charged with Sodomy, Sexually Abusing Daughters
Keith Brown, the father of the popular classical piano quintet The 5 Browns, has been charged in a Utah court with "one first-degree felony count of sodomy on a child and two second-degree felony counts of sexual abuse of a child," according to the AP. While the actual court records don't name the victims, a spokesman for the 5 Browns has confirmed that the case involves Brown's three daughters Desirae, Deondra, and Melody. The alleged abused occurred on several occasions over a period ranging from 1990 to 1998.
The five Juilliard-trained Brown children (well, some are now in their 30s) have achieved about as much success as a Mormon classical piano quintet can in today's pop-focused world, rising to the top of the Billboard classical music charts, touring the world, and making numerous television appearances, from 60 Minutes to Oprah to The Tonight Show. The children "severed their professional relationship with Keith Brown in October of 2008," dismissing him as their manager. These unsettling allegations come just days after Keith Brown and his wife Lisa were in a serious car accident, in which Brown drove his Porsche "off a 300-foot enbankment into an icy stream." Yikes. Police say there were tire marks indicating that Brown slammed on the brakes, but... suspicious still.
Brown is due in court for his first hearing today. If convicted of the first degree felony, he could face life imprisonment.
Update: Brown has plead guilty on all charges. "[T]he agreement calls for 10 years to life on the sodomy charge and 1-to-15 years on each of the sex abuse charges."