Jeffery Paul Coolidge, Child Sexual Abuse, Vermont 2023

Burlington, Vermont - A disturbing case of child sexual abuse has come to light in Vermont, with a local man charged with producing, distributing, and possessing Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM).

A federal complaint alleges that Jeffery Paul Coolidge, 58, of Montpelier, Vermont, used the handle 'phantasy' to operate on darkweb forums dedicated to those with sexual interest in male children aged four to fourteen years old.

According to court records, on August 8, 2023, Coolidge shared sexually explicit photographs he had taken of a male child with whom he had contact via those forums. Homeland Security Investigations, with the assistance of the Montpelier Police Department, arrested Coolidge the next day.

The United States Attorney's Office emphasizes that a criminal complaint contains allegations only and that Coolidge is presumed innocent until and unless he is convicted of a crime.

Coolidge faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years' imprisonment, and up to 30 years of imprisonment, for the production of child sexual abuse images; a mandatory minimum of 5 years and up to 20 years' imprisonment for the distribution of child sexual abuse images; and up to 10 years' imprisonment for the possession of child sexual abuse images.

The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.

United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the Montpelier Police Department, Vermont's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Vermont Attorney General's Office.

The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Corinne M. Smith. Coolidge is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender.

This case was 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 by the Justice Department.

The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-vt/pr/montpelier-man-charged-producing-distributing-and-possessing-child-sexual-abuse