Groveton Man Charged in Child Exploitation Case
A Groveton man is behind bars and facing up to life in prison after being charged with a federal child exploitation offense, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announced.
Brandon Couture, 38, was arrested on June 13, 2024, and will appear in federal court in Concord later today. Couture is charged with one count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, a charge that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
According to the charging documents, Couture traveled from New Hampshire to Vermont, where he picked up a minor female survivor and drove her back to New Hampshire with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity with her. The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with valuable assistance from the Northumberland Police Department and the Essex County, Vermont Sheriff’s Department.
Couture’s prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The program marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Ward is prosecuting the case, which carries a minimum of five years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000, and restitution. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes that govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations, and Couture is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Related Federal Cases
- Groveton Man Charged with Child Exploitation · New Hampshire
- Utah Man Gets 30 Months for Child Porn · Utah
- Groveton Predator Sentenced to Over 4 Years for Sexually Abusing Teen · New Hampshire
- Groveton Predator Brandon Couture Gets Over 4 Years for Child Sex Abuse · New Hampshire
- Vermont Man Pleads Guilty to Luring Teens Online · New Hampshire
Key Facts
- State: New Hampshire
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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