By Michael Donoghue, Vermont News First

Former embattled Addison County Sheriff Peter Newton resolved his three-year old criminal case involving sex and assault charges on Wednesday without any prison time.

Newton, 53, of Middlebury pleaded guilty in Vermont Superior Court in Burlington to reduced charges of felony lewd and lascivious conduct and a misdemeanor count of simple assault.

Under the plea agreement with the office of Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark, Newton received a deferred sentence and was placed on state probation for two years for the lewd conduct charge.

The felony criminal conviction will be wiped off his record if Newton does not violate probation.

Judge John Pacht also sentenced Newton to a suspended 6-to-12-month prison term and placed him on probation for the simple assault count.

Conditions of Newton’s probation include that he is not to work as a law enforcement officer or security guard and that he is not to have any contact with or come within 300 feet of four people, including the victim.

Newton also must complete individual sex offender treatment, a separate domestic violence counseling program, and substance abuse and alcohol counseling.

The plea agreement prohibits Newton from asking to be released from probation early and he does not have to register as a sex offender.

Newton could have received up to five years in prison on the lewd conduct conviction and one year in prison on the misdemeanor.

Newton initially denied in 2022 more serious charges, including sexual assault, unlawful restraint and domestic assault involving his then partner.

Pacht had released Newton at his June 28, 2022 arraignment on a $100,000 unsecured bond. Pacht ordered Newton to stay away from the woman, her sister and two children.

He also ordered Newton to not personally possess any firearms or dangerous weapons. Any department-owned weapons must remain under locked away, Pacht said.

The court barred him from engaging in the law enforcement portion of his elected post. Newton was allowed to continue with his administrative duties.

Newton turned the law enforcement portion of his office over to Patrol Sgt. Michael R. Elmore.

Newton later opted not to run for re-election.

Sgt. Elmore became one of two Republicans on the Primary Election ballot. He captured that seat and also won the nomination from Democrats in Addison County. He went on to easily outdistance two independents.

Newton had worked for both Middlebury Police and the local State’s Attorney, Dennis Wygams, leading both to step aside.

The criminal prosecution was initially taken over by then-Washington County State’s Attorney Rory Thibault. Gov. Phil Scott later appointed him a judge and the court case ended up in the hands of the Attorney General Clark.

The case all began to unfold about 12:25 a.m. Feb. 26, 2022, when Middlebury Town Police responded to a 911 call from a woman at Newton’s apartment on Court Street.

Thibault had said based on the woman’s comments the night of the incident there was no reason for an arrest. Middlebury Police documented what they saw and heard and urged them to sleep in separate rooms.

The investigation was later turned over to Vermont State Police, who brought in an experienced criminal investigator from Franklin County to tackle the case, police said.

The woman for more than two months refused to cooperate in the investigation, but on May 18, 2022 state police got a phone call that she was thinking about helping. She eventually offered a statement on June 13, state police said.

The criminal charges were eventually filed by Thibault.