Sidney Rivers, a 25-year-old from Eureka, California, has been charged with one count of felony sexual assault and two counts of felony caregiver sexual abuse of a vulnerable adult. The charges stem from an investigation by the Vermont Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit (MFRAU) and the Brattleboro Police Department into allegations that Rivers sexually assaulted a resident while working at the Brattleboro Retreat.
Rivers pleaded not guilty during his arraignment in Vermont Superior Court, Windsor Criminal Division. Judge Elizabeth Mann set bail at $1,000 surety bond and imposed several conditions for release. These include having no contact with the victim, refraining from abusing or harassing the victim, and not working as a caregiver for any vulnerable adult or child.
The Attorney General’s Office stated: “Individuals charged with a crime are legally presumed innocent until their guilt is proven beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
Authorities urge anyone who suspects neglect or abuse to contact local law enforcement immediately. Reports can also be made to MFRAU through its online form at https://ago.vermont.gov/medicaid-fraud-report-form or to Adult Protective Services at 800-5641612.
The MFRAU receives most of its funding—75 percent—from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a federal grant totaling $1,497,780 for fiscal year 2026. The State of Vermont provides the remaining 25 percent, amounting to $499,260 for FY 2026.
