Plea lets former Brooksville youth minister avoid prison

BROOKSVILLE –
With his no contest plea, a former youth pastor avoids prison and avoids having his name added to the sex offender registry.

As part of his plea agreement, Brian Brijbag, 36, will serve three years probation, undergo sex offender counseling, pay a $964 fine and have no contact with his accuser.

Brijbag was a youth pastor at First Baptist Church of Brooksville when a 17-year-old girl told church leaders she had sexual relations with Brijbag. Another teen at the church, who was 18, said the married father of three had sex with her, too.

Brijbag, who resigned from his church job just prior to his arrest in April 2011, denied the allegations.

There was no formal conviction, no formal finding of guilt and no admission of guilt.

Thursday’s no contest plea was for a lesser child abuse charge, according to a spokesman with the state attorney’s office.

“It was a best-interest plea,” said Brijbag’s attorney, Peyton Hyslop. “He wanted to resolve this without putting the young lady through any more tribulation.”

Following the 17-year-old’s accusation, Brijbag was charged with unlawful sexual activity with a minor.

During his representation, Hyslop pointed out the perceived motives of the younger accuser — Brijbag had just fired her boyfriend — and the other girl’s conflicting statements to police.

Additionally, the Brooksville officer who investigated the case, Marc Davidoff, was fired a month after Brijbag’s arrest.

Brijbag could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Brijbag appears to have moved on from the ministry. He remains happily married and is pursuing graduate studies, his attorney said.

The mere allegation of sexual impropriety is enough to ruin a youth minister’s career, said Hyslop.