The Attorney General’s Office has announced the arraignment of Robert Charbonneau, a 50-year-old resident of Burlington, Vermont, on one felony count of Luring a Child. The charge against Charbonneau is the outcome of an undercover investigation conducted by the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC) and the Hartford Police Department.
During this investigation, Charbonneau allegedly initiated contact online via Kik messenger with a Hartford Investigator posing as a 14-year-old minor. The defendant is said to have engaged in sexual conversations with the investigator and attempted to arrange a meeting for sexual acts.
Charbonneau pleaded not guilty at his arraignment today in Vermont Superior Court, Chittenden Criminal Division. Presiding Judge Navah Spero ordered conditions of release that prohibit Charbonneau’s contact with minors and restrict his access to the internet.
The VT-ICAC is responsible for investigating cases of child sexual exploitation occurring over the internet, including the production and online distribution of child sexual abuse materials. It also provides forensic examination services, technical assistance, law enforcement training, public education and outreach.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) serves as the nation’s centralized reporting system for online exploitation of children. The public can report suspected online enticement of children for sexual acts, child sexual molestation, child sexual abuse material, child sex tourism, child sex trafficking, unsolicited obscene materials sent to a child, misleading domain names and misleading words or digital images on the internet through NCMEC's 24-hour call center at 1-800-843-5678 or via their website at https://report.cybertip.org.
NCMEC also offers support to those recovering from child sexual exploitation. This includes emotional and peer support, assistance with removing content from the internet and locating mental health professionals. More information can be found at https://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/csam-resources or by calling the 24-hour call center at 1-800-843-5678.
The Attorney General’s Office underscores that individuals charged with a crime are legally presumed innocent until their guilt is proven beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.