The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Connor Frazier, 34, of Barre, Vermont was arraigned today on an indictment that alleges Frazier unlawfully possessed child sexual abuse materials, also known as child pornography, on or about July 1, 2021. At today’s hearing, United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle ordered Frazier to be released on conditions of pretrial supervision pending trial.
The federal case arises from the same circumstances underlying a pending state criminal case against Frazier that was filed in Vermont Superior Court, Washington Unit, in July 2021.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Frazier will be presumed innocent until and unless he is convicted of a crime. If convicted, Frazier would face a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of 20 years of imprisonment for unlawfully possessing child sexual abuse materials. Any sentence ultimately imposed would be advised by the United States Sentencing Guidelines and statutory sentencing factors.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations.
The prosecutor in the federal case is Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Lasher. Frazier is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the District of Vermont.
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 Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and Child Exploitation Obscenity Section, Criminal Division (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.