RANKIN COUNTY — A Brandon man was found guilty on multiple charges involving the sexual abuse of a child following a trial in Rankin County Circuit Court, District Attorney John K. Bramlett announced.
Mark Duett, 60, was convicted on three counts of sexual battery and two counts of gratification of lust, all involving a child. A judge has scheduled sentencing for May 11.
The case began March 14, 2025, when officers with the Brandon Police Department responded to a 911 call reporting abuse of a young child. During the investigation, the child was taken to a Children’s Advocacy Center, where the child disclosed that the abuse occurred over a three-month period and involved multiple incidents of sexual contact when the defendant was alone with the child.
Authorities later executed a search warrant at Duett’s residence, where investigators collected electronic devices and other evidence related to the case.
Prosecutors presented testimony from law enforcement officers, an investigator, a sexual assault nurse, a forensic interviewer from the Children’s Advocacy Center and other witnesses, along with evidence gathered during the investigation.
“This was calculated, repeated abuse of a child,” Bramlett said in a statement. “The jury saw it for what it was, and the result is a conviction on every count. If you prey on children in Rankin County, we will find you, we will prosecute you, and we will make sure you are removed from this community.”
The district attorney’s office credited the Brandon Police Department, the Children’s Advocacy Center and the Center for Violence Prevention for their work on the case. Assistant District Attorneys Kathryn Newman and Amanda Fritz prosecuted the case.
