A former Crossville DJ has been sentenced to 55 years in federal prison for conspiring to sexually exploit children. Joseph “Josh” Brandon, 50, of Knoxville, formerly of Crossville, and Michael David Bledsoe, 47, of Lansing, Michigan, were sentenced in U.S. District Court. Brandon received 55 years, while Bledsoe was given 27 years. Chief U.S. District Judge Hala Jarbou called the crimes “off the charts” due to their severity. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the two men met in an online chat group and formed an agreement in which Bledsoe provided personal information on minor girls, and Brandon used fake social media accounts to catfish and obtain child pornography from them.
