Paul Collette, a 57-year-old resident of Windsor, Vermont, was sentenced in Vermont Superior Court after pleading guilty to three felony counts of possessing child sexual abuse materials. Judge Elizabeth D. Mann presided over the case and imposed a sentence of three to five years in prison, which was suspended. Instead, Collette will serve 10 years on probation.
As part of his probation conditions, Collette must complete individual sex offender treatment, is prohibited from contacting children under 16 years old, and will have restricted access to electronic devices. If he violates any terms of his probation, he could face up to 15 years in prison. Additionally, Collette is required to register as a sex offender for at least 10 years following the completion of his sentence.
The Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC) investigates internet-based child sexual exploitation cases such as production and distribution of child sexual abuse materials. The task force also provides forensic services and technical support for law enforcement agencies.
According to the Attorney General’s Office: “Every child deserves a safe childhood.” The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) operates as the national reporting center for online child exploitation cases. Reports can be made by calling their 24-hour hotline at 1-800-843-5678 or visiting https://report.cybertip.org.
NCMEC also offers support services for individuals recovering from child sexual exploitation, including emotional assistance and help with removing harmful content from the internet. More information is available at https://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/csam-resources or through their call center.
