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Slain
Vt girl's ex-stepdad pleads guilty to porn ©
2010 The Associated PressMay 22, 2010, 1:32PM
Last year, 42-year-old Raymond Gagnon of San Antonio, Texas, was sentenced to nearly 17 years in prison on child
pornography charges that surfaced while authorities investigated Brooke Bennett's disappearance. Her uncle, Michael Jacques,
is charged with kidnapping, assaulting and killing her. Gagnon was initially charged with obstruction
of justice in Bennett's death, but federal authorities later dropped the count. Prosecutors
said Gagnon collected many child porn images when he was living in Alabama, before moving to Texas. The
Burlington Free Press reports Gagnon's hearing was held Thursday. ___ 2 Vermont Men Charged In Baby DeathsPolice Say 1 Man Killed 5-Week-Old SonPOSTED: 9:24 am EDT March 19,
2010
UPDATED: 7:44 pm EDT March 19, 2010 VERMONT -- Two Vermont men are facing
charges after police said a 5-week-old boy and a 1-year-old girl were killed by men who were caring for them, one of whom
was the boy's father.  2 Vermont Men Charged In Baby Deaths Colin R. Van Vleck, 27, of Arlington, has been charged with manslaughter in the death of his 5-week-old son, Colin.
Alexander Stolte, 19, of Chelsea, has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend's daughter,
1-year-old Kyleigh McDaniel. The two arrests are not related. Stolte was charged Thursday after the toddler died while
in his care, police said. An autopsy on the child concluded McDaniel died from blunt impacts to the head, according to police.
"My daughter was my whole world. Our whole world," Kyleigh's mother, MacKensie McDaniel, told reporters
after the arraignment. Police were called to Stolte's Brook Road residence Wednesday
evening after receiving a report that the child was not breathing. The child was transported to Gifford Medical Center in
Randolph where she was pronounced dead. Kyleigh and her mother had been staying at the Brook Road residence on and off over
the past three months, police said. Stolte had been watching Kyleigh Wednesday evening. Stolte's mother was visiting
him and was out for the evening. The child became unresponsive while in Stolte's care, police said. Stolte plead not guilty
in Orange County court Friday. Van Vleck was arrested after a five-month investigation into the death of his son, Colin,
according to police. Van Vleck had called 911 Oct. 3 and reported his son was unresponsive. The baby was brought to a nearby
hospital and pronounced dead, but a subsequent autopsy concluded the baby's death was a homicide, police said. Police
added that their investigation concluded that Van Vleck was the only person with the child at the time of the death and blame
the death on "mistreatment at the hands of another." Van Vleck is due in court Friday.
Brattleboro man pleads not guilty to child abuse chargesPosted: 02/28/2009 03:02:35 AM EST
Saturday, February 28 BRATTLEBORO -- A man accused
of fracturing the arm of his 5-month-old child pleaded not guilty on Feb. 24 in Windham District Court. Lukas
Campbell, 23, of Brattleboro, was charged with first degree aggravated domestic assault and cruelty to a child under 10 years
old. If convicted, he could face up to 15 years in prison on the domestic assault charge and up to two years on the cruelty
charge. His conditions of release included he have no contact with the mother or the child.
Police were called to Brattleboro Memorial Hospital on Nov. 10, 2008, after being alerted
by hospital staff about the baby's injury. Neither Campbell nor the mother of the child could explain to police how the
baby had come to be injured. BMH personnel also told police the baby had a possible dislocated
left elbow which could have been caused by the baby's arm being pulled "forcefully." During
a re-examination 15 days later at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H., doctors discovered two additional fractures,
at each of the baby's ankles. The doctors told police that the baby's injuries
could not have been self-inflicted and are "considered highly specific or concerning for abuse," according to documents
submitted to the court. "These fractures are best explained by someone using (the
victim's) legs to suddenly and forcefully pull, lift or jerk," according to court documents. "In the absence
of any accidental explanations for (the baby's) fractures, (the doctor) can conclude
to a reasonable degree of medical certainty that (the baby) has been a victim of repetitive inflicted trauma." During an interview with police, Campbell said he was responsible for the baby's arm injury. "Campbell said he wasn't sure exactly how it happened -- he said he must have blacked it out -- but
admitted (the baby) was in his care when (it) sustained the injury," according to court documents. Campbell still had no explanation for how the injuries to the baby's ankles happened. According to police, Campbell had previously brought the baby to a clinic in Brattleboro for an undiagnosed
head injury. Campbell also told police that he had a 4-month-old son from a previous marriage that died of Sudden
Infant Death Syndrome in 2006. Both Campbell and the mother admitted to police
that they have "anger issues" and had been fighting over finances. The mother of the child denied Campbell had ever
struck her, but did tell police that during one incident he threatened to punch her in the face. Campbell
was scheduled to appear in court at a later date. |
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Child Molester Sentenced
Barre, Vermont -- July 18, 2006
A Washington County man was sentenced today for what the county prosecutor calls one of the worst sex crimes
he has ever seen.
The victim is a boy who was sexually abused two to three times a week for nearly two years -- and
it started when he was just nine years old.
"He videotaped sexual acts between himself and the victim," said Craig Nolan, Washington County Prosecutor,
as he detailed the litany of sexual abuse a young boy suffered at the hands of Casey Langlois, 26, at Langlois' sentencing
hearing Tuesday.
The victim, now 13, was in the courtroom but rushed out as the list of crimes grew longer and more bizarre.
"The defendant engaged in bondage of the victim using zip ties and he blames that on the victim," said Nolan
to the judge.
Nolan requested that Langlois go to prison for at least ten years. But he also pointed out that others shared
some guilt for the crimes, including the boy's family and his public school principal, because they failed to take action
after the boy told them he was being sexually abused.
"The school the child was attending reported its initial knowledge to the family but not to the Department
for Children and Families which of course schools are obligated to report," Nolan explained.
The parents' and principal's failure to take action subjected the child to nearly another year of
abuse before another adult finally called police.
When it was his turn to speak in court Langlois apologized.
"I'm sorry. I can't give him (the victim) an explanation right now because I don't know. He wants to know
why, and I can't tell him. Everything that's in here that's in my mind is locked up and tangled," said Langlois during his
5-minute statement to the court.
The 13-year-old victim asked the judge to lock up Langlois for at least ten years. And that's just what Judge
Walter Morris did; he sentenced Langlois to serve 10 to 30 years behind bars followed by a lifetime of tight supervision.
The judge also praised the boy for his bravery.
"Remember today and the day that you came with great courage to be in this room right here, given what you've
already experienced," said Judge Morris, looking at the boy as he spoke. "You have a badge of honor from the court at least;
can't see it, but you have it from us," the judge added.
A state psychologist has classified Langlois as a pedophile, in his case a person sexually addicted to young
boys. The sentence calls for him to complete an intensive sex offender treatment program in jail -- and to continue therapy
after his release. But he won't be eligible for release for at least 8-and-a-half years.
The state removed the boy from his parents home because they failed to protect him. He is now in foster care.
Also -- the investigation into Langlois revealed that other children in the same family had also been abused by Langlois'
brother who is also facing criminal charges.
Brian Joyce - Channel 3 News
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