By Guy Page

A former mental health worker for the Vermont State Police has been sentenced in Texas to 10 years in prison for sexual assault of a 13-year-old child in 2015.

The child, a friend of one of Godfrey’s children, was visiting the Godfrey home in San Angelo during a ‘sleepover’ when assaulted by Godfrey in a tent, court records reported by Concho Valley Homepage.com. 

Friday Feb. 25, 2022, Kevin Godfrey was arrested as a fugitive from justice at his home in Concord, Vermont, by troopers and detectives assigned to the St. Johnsbury Barracks. The fugitive from justice charge stems from an arrest warrant from the state of Texas that charges Godfrey with sexual assault of a child-continuous: victim under 14; and sexual abuse of a child.

Godfrey previously worked for Northeast Kingdom Human Services as a mental health case worker and was embedded with the Vermont State Police at the St. Johnsbury Barracks. His access to state facilities was immediately revoked in December 2021 when VSP learned of an active investigation involving Godfrey in Texas. 

On Dec. 3, 2021, the San Angelo (Texas) Police Department requested assistance in interviewing Godfrey, as he was a suspect in a child sex abuse case they were investigating. The San Angelo Police Department had learned that Godfrey resided in Concord, Vermont, although they were unaware that Godfrey worked in partnership with the Vermont State Police.    

The Vermont State Police partners with local mental health agencies to select mental health case workers for assignment to VSP barracks. Case workers are employees of these individual agencies, and then in collaboration with VSP are assigned to work with troopers from a particular barracks.

In this case, Godfrey was hired by Northeast Kingdom Human Services and began work at the St. Johnsbury Barracks in early December 2020. When VSP became aware of the Texas allegations upon notification from San Angelo police, VSP notified Northeast Kingdom Human Services of the complaint, and Godfrey’s access to state police facilities was immediately suspended on Dec. 3, 2021.

The Vermont State Police supported Northeast Kingdom Human Services and law-enforcement authorities in Texas as needed in investigating the complaint. Detectives from outside the St. Johnsbury Barracks were assigned to interview Godfrey in efforts to assist Texas authorities. Godfrey was interviewed Dec. 3, 2021, the date the request was made. 

The information gathered during the interview was shared with Texas authorities, who subsequently obtained a grand jury indictment earlier this month that resulted in the issuance of an arrest warrant for Godfrey. Once VSP was made aware of the arrest warrant, efforts were made to locate and arrest Godfrey. On Feb. 25, 2022, at approximately 2 p.m., Godfrey was located at his home in Concord and taken into custody without incident.

Godfrey was jailed at the Northeast Regional Correctional Facility in St. Johnsbury and is scheduled to be arraigned Monday, Feb. 28 at 12:30 p.m. The Honorable Judge Justin Jiron set bail at $5,000.