The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Colin Germain, 20, of New Haven, Vermont has been indicted on charges for distribution of child pornography and assault on a federal officer. Germain was charged via criminal complaint and made his initial appearance in the United States District Court in Burlington on March 9, 2018. He was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury. In a hearing before United States Magistrate Judge John M. Conroy on March 16, 2018, Germain was arraigned on the indictment and ordered released on conditions pending trial, which has not been scheduled.
According to Court documents, on Aug. 2, 2017, Germain sent another individual an email containing video file depicting a female child engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Law enforcement identified the Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with the email account that sent the video, then traced the IP address to Germain’s New Haven address and obtained a warrant to search the location. Federal, state, and local officers executed the warrant on November 7, 2017. During their search of the residence, Germain became argumentative and kicked a Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent.
United States Attorney Christina Nolan emphasizes that the charges against Germain are merely accusations and that he is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty. If convicted, Germain faces a sentence of five to twenty years in prison on the child pornography charge and up to eight years in prison on the assault charge. The actual sentence would be determined with reference to the federal sentencing guidelines.
United States Attorney Nolan commended the efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the Vermont State Police, the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), and the Bristol Police Department. She noted that this prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The prosecutor in this matter is Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Cate. Germain is represented by Federal Public Defender Elizabeth Quinn.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
