Twin Falls Judge Sentences Local Business Owner Matthew Brander to Minimum 30 Years for Sex Abuse of Minor
TWIN FALLS — A Twin Falls district judge handed down a lengthy prison sentence Friday to a local business owner who sexually abused a teenage girl in his care, rejecting defense arguments for leniency and declaring the defendant a continuing risk to the community.
District Judge William Hancock sentenced Matthew Brander, 46, to a minimum of 30 years behind bars after finding that Brander had failed to take responsibility for crimes that left a devastating impact on the then-teenage victim. Brander had originally faced five felony counts but pleaded guilty in March to two counts of sex abuse of a minor as part of a plea agreement.
Structure of the Sentence
Judge Hancock spent roughly half an hour detailing his reasoning before announcing the sentence. For one count, Brander received a fixed 25-year prison term. For the second count, Hancock imposed a five-year fixed sentence followed by 20 years indeterminate, with both sentences running consecutively. That structure produces a minimum of 30 years before any possibility of release. Brander must also pay $20,000 in fines and a $10,000 civil penalty to the victim.
Deputy Prosecutor Suzanne Ehlers outlined for the court how Brander groomed the victim over time — buying her gifts, taking her on outings, and gradually escalating physical contact to include her breasts and genitals. The victim was available, vulnerable, and in Brander’s care, Ehlers told the court.
Ehlers also described how allegations against Brander surfaced a decade ago when the victim first disclosed the abuse to people she trusted — but law enforcement was never contacted and the victim’s parents were kept in the dark. That silence left the girl’s family unable to understand what was driving changes in her behavior, including incidents in which she lashed out at those closest to her.
The victim, now an adult, ultimately decided to go to police herself. That decision, Ehlers said, triggered negative reactions from people in Brander’s circle. Brander was charged in May 2024, and his case drew significant public attention on social media, including calls for a harsh sentence and calls for business boycotts.
Defense Arguments Rejected
Defense attorney Steven McRae urged Hancock to consider either jail time at the county level or a prison sentence with retained jurisdiction — a structure that would have preserved the court’s ability to review Brander’s incarceration. McRae pointed to a psychosexual evaluation that rated Brander as low-risk to reoffend, arguing his client was highly amenable to treatment. He also noted that only a small number of defendants McRae had represented scored as low as Brander on that assessment.
McRae further argued that many of the specific details described by the prosecution were disputed and emphasized that his client had pleaded guilty only to two offenses involving touching in a Twin Falls restaurant parking lot and a movie theater.
Hancock was not persuaded. The judge noted that polygraph examinations administered in April indicated Brander was being deceptive when asked whether he had engaged in undisclosed sexual acts with the girl and whether he had exploited a position of power for a sexually motivated purpose. Pre-sentence reports led Hancock to conclude the crimes involved more than just the two offenses to which Brander had pleaded guilty.
The judge stated directly that releasing Brander back into the community in the near term would pose a risk to public safety. McRae, for his part, distinguished between community members who supported Brander the person and those who supported his actions — a separation he said was appropriate.
One Identified Victim
Despite the high profile of the case on social media, McRae noted that no other individuals — including employees at Brander’s businesses — came forward to claim they had also been victimized. Police reports list one victim. Brander had posted a $50,000 bond shortly after his arrest approximately one year ago.
For Twin Falls residents following developments in local public safety, the Twin Falls Police Department has also been stepping up enforcement of the state’s hands-free driving law in response to community concerns — a reminder that local law enforcement remains active on multiple fronts.
What Comes Next
Brander will be remanded to the Idaho Department of Correction to begin serving his sentence. With consecutive fixed terms totaling 30 years, he will not be eligible for parole consideration until that minimum period has been served. No immediate appeal was announced in open court. The case, which drew community scrutiny from the moment charges were filed in 2024, now moves from the courtroom to the corrections system.