By Guy Page

The United States Attorney’s Office for Vermont stated December 2 that Jason McGrath, 45, of South Burlington, was sentenced by federal judge Mary Kay Lanthier to 120 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 10-year term of supervised release. McGrath previously pleaded guilty to attempting to entice a minor to produce child sexual abuse materials (CSAM, also known as child pornography). McGrath has been detained since his guilty plea.

According to court records, McGrath corresponded with two people via an internet messaging application, offering to pay money for the production of original CSAM. McGrath sent money to the users in an effort to obtain CSAM and received CSAM from at least one user that depicted a child as young as 8 years old. McGrath also exchanged over 1,800 messages with a third person, coaching that person as to how to sexually abuse an 11-year-old girl, providing explicit instructions, and requesting photographs of the abuse.

Missing hunter found, cited for DUI – At 8 PM on Dec. 7, state police were dispatched to a potential missing hunter mapping to an address in Norwich. While en route, troopers located the individual travelling in his motor vehicle. While interacting with driver Robert C. Hall, age 78, of White River Junction, troopers observed indicators of impairment. He was placed under arrest for suspicion of DUI, transported to the Royalton Barracks for processing, and released with a criminal citation to appear in Vermont Superior Court (Windsor, at Woodstock).

Man with many priors arrested naked in his mother’s car – Brattleboro News reporter Hank Poytras in a Dec. 7 on-the-street video that a Brattleboro man with seven felonies and multiple charges for lewd and lascivious behavior was arrested – naked – in his mother’s car in a Brattleboro hospital parking lot. See Planet Hank – Brattleboro News video here. Warning: some images not suitable for children. 

Suspected supermarket shoplifter flees, apprehended – At 3:37 PM Saturday December 6, State Police received a report of a male who had walked away from Price Chopper in the town of Derby with a shopping cart full of merchandise that he did not pay for. Troopers located this male, later identified as Danual Morrow, 45, of Newport near Walmart in the town of Derby. Morrow attempted to flee from Troopers but was taken into custody. Morrow was processed at the Derby Barracks and released with a citation.