By Michael Donoghue Vermont News First

A recent part-time victim advocate for the Caledonia County State’s Attorney’s Office pleaded not guilty Thursday in Vermont Superior Court in St. Johnsbury to criminal charges sexual exploitation of a crime victim in a pending case and obstruction of justice.

Anthony Jackson-Miller, 39, of Stanstead, Quebec also has been employed fulltime with the Vermont Office of Racial Equity in Montpelier, but his job is due to end Friday because of a loss of federal funds, a state spokesman said.

Jackson-Miller was put on paid leave from the Racial Equity post on June 5, 2025 when the Governor’s Office learned about the Vermont State Police investigation. Jackson-Miller’s photo and title did not appear Thursday on the website for the office operated by Executive Director Xusana Davis.

Vermont State Police said in court papers its investigation showed Jackson-Miller used his position of power to have sexual relations with a victim of a crime that he was supposedly advocating for in court.

The victim’s original case involved a man facing both charges of sexual assault and domestic assault against her, according to State Police Detective Sgt. Jesse Robson, the lead investigator.

Robson said a search on Jackson-Miller’s cell phone reportedly showed that on May 20, less than four hours after he left the woman’s apartment for the first time, he did a Google search asking, “can victim advocate sleep with a victim?”

The Vermont Attorney General’s Office had the state police investigation for several months before making a decision on filing the two felony criminal charges this week.

Attorney General Charity Clark on Thursday afternoon did not respond, through her spokesperson, to a request for comment from Vermont News First about the delay in charging the case.

State police said the case was presented to the AG’s office in June 2025, but it asked for some follow-up. State police said that was completed and the case was wrapped up by November, but no action was filed by the AG until Thursday by Assistant Attorney General Franklin Paulino.

Former Caledonia County State’s Attorney Jessica Zaleski hired Jackson-Miller on March 21, 2025 to serve as a part-time advocate for crime victims who her office was trying to help for cases that were charged, Robson said.

The Department of State’s Attorneys and Sheriffs lists his date of hire as April 7, according to Tim Lueders-Dumont, the executive director.

Jackson-Miller was terminated on June 5, 2025, Lueders-Dumont said.

Jackson-Miller within two months of being hired made moves on the woman, who had an assailant facing charges of sexual assault, aggravated domestic violence and violating a restraining order, records show.

He ended up providing the woman with his personal cell phone number so the text messages would not be on his state phone, Robson said.

Jackson-Miller has a lengthy work record, including recent employment with at least five law enforcement agencies.

Two police department moved quickly to distance themselves.

Caledonia County Sheriff Brandon Thrailkill said Jackson-Miller was hired as a per-diem deputy May 16, 2025 and was cut loose three weeks later on June 5, 2025.

Jackson-Miller did cover one work shift on May 24, 2025 under a patrol contract for a local community, the sheriff said in a phone interview.

“Immediately, upon receipt of information of the allegation of his potential criminal activity, I terminated him from his position from this office,” Thrailkill said in an email.

Swanton Police Chief Matthew Sullivan said Jackson-Miller had been a part-time officer for the village starting in March 2022, but was put on unpaid suspension when the department learned about the state investigation June 4, 2025.

Sullivan said he received a phone call from Vermont Public Safety Commissioner Jennifer Morrison indicating that a complaint about the woman was filed and state police would be investigating.

Sullivan said he suspended Jackson-Miller immediately and told him to surrender his badges, credentials and other property. He also was shut out of access to police computers and crime programs, the chief said.

Sullivan, a former deputy chief for Burlington Police, said he had limited contact with Jackson-Miller while he also worked for the Burlington Police Department in the office of Parallel Justice for Victims of Crime.

The chief said Jackson-Miller would help fill some of the vacant shifts in Swanton on the weekends, normally during the day on Saturday and Sunday. He said records show Jackson-Miller filled 30 shifts in 2022, 45 shifts in 2023 and 44 shifts in 2024. He had covered only 6 ½ shifts in 2025 before he was suspended, the chief said.

Jackson-Miller also was a community affairs liaison for almost two years with the Essex Police before leaving in August 2024, Chief Ron Hoague told Vermont News First. He attended community meetings and helped organize the annual Essex National Night Out hosted by the Essex Police, Hoague said.

The chief said Jackson-Miller left Essex under good terms and believed he headed to the Office of Racial Equity for the state.

Jackson-Miller reportedly began his police career with the Lamoille County Sheriff’s Department in 2020 and also did a stint at Franklin County Sheriff’s Department, officials said.

Attempts to reach Lamoille Sheriff Roger Marcoux and Franklin Sheriff John Grismore were unsuccessful.

Jackson-Miller also worked as a First Call crisis clinician for the Howard Center in 2019 and did short stints as a correctional officer in St. Johnsbury and Newport, according to his resume.

Judge Heather Gray released Jackson-Miller from court on conditions, including that he has no contact with the victim and witnesses. He also cannot be employed in a role providing services to vulnerable people, including schools with minors.

State police said they arrested Jackson-Miller on Thursday and transported him to the state police barracks in Derby for processing. Troopers were ordered to bring him before a judge immediately and he was taken to St. Johnsbury.

Jackson-Miller’s job is designed to support and advocate for crime victims, who often are at a low vulnerable point in their life. They are often considered the main connection and advocate between the prosecutor and the court system. They keep them informed about court hearings and often can be seen sitting with victims at the court hearings.

He is charged as a law enforcement officer with having sex with the woman one or more times between May 20, 2025 and May 26, 2025 when he knew she was a crime victim.

Jackson-Miller told the woman, who is in her 20s, that he has a girlfriend and has three children.

The obstruction charge maintains Jackson-Miller threatened the charge against her attacker would be dropped if she told any third party about her sexual acts with him as victim advocate.

Each crime, upon conviction, carries a possible 5-year prison sentence. The sexual exploitation also carries a $10,000 fine, while the obstruction count has a $5,000 fine.

The woman reported Jackson-Miller started with snuggles and compliments, police said. The woman said she was touched by his comments.

“It felt nice to get the compliments and nice to hear from a different guy that I was worth more than that,” she reportedly told state police, court records show.

Jackson-Miller went to the woman’s apartment three times in May, and during two of the visits, they reportedly had made love, police said in court papers.

The woman said Jackson-Miller told the woman to keep their relationship a secret or the case against her assailant could end up getting dropped, Robson wrote.

She said she eventually broke off communications with Jackson-Miller after he asked if he could take naked pictures of her, Robson said. Jackson-Miller maintained he had pictures of other naked women, police said.

The woman reported seeing several folders in his personal cell phone that “contained many photos of different nude women” that Jackson-Miller claimed he had taken.

She said she later tried to forget about him. “She doesn’t like to think about it and it grosses her out,” Robson wrote.