Edmund Thornton, Sex Offender Registration Failure, Vermont 2023

Burlington, Vermont – A disturbing case of a convicted sex offender who failed to register in Vermont has led to a sentence of time served, followed by five years of supervised release for 66-year-old Edmund Thornton.

Thornton, who lived in East Calais, Vermont until recently, pleaded guilty to a charge that he failed to register as a sex offender after moving to Vermont, according to the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont.

Senior U.S. District Judge William K. Sessions III handed down the sentence on [no date mentioned, but it happened after his guilty plea that was before May when he was released on conditions].

Thornton had been incarcerated for more than six months following his arrest in late October 2022. Records indicate that in 1999, Thornton pleaded guilty in Pennsylvania to charges that included attempted deviate sexual intercourse with a ten-year-old girl. He served several years in prison under Pennsylvania law, he was required to register in that state as a convicted sex offender upon his release from custody.

The federal Sex Offender Registration And Notification Act also required Thornton to promptly register with authorities in any state to which he moved. However, according to the indictment, Thornton moved to Vermont in about June 2020 but failed to register with authorities here, as required by SORNA.

Thornton is represented by Assistant Federal Defender Barclay Johnson. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.

This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

This case is a stark reminder of the importance of sex offender registration laws and the need for compliance with these laws. The consequences of failure to register can be severe, and we will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that those who fail to comply are held accountable.

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