Cole Hess, 34, of Morrisville was sentenced Tuesday, March 15 to serve 87 months in prison for distribution of a modified depiction of child pornography, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.  United States District Judge Christina Reiss also ordered Hess to serve a 15-year term of supervised release after his incarceration.

According to court records and proceedings, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a report from a social media company that a user “IncestKyle” had uploaded child pornography to their platform.  The images included children under the age of five engaged in sex acts with adults.  NCMEC referred the report to the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) because the IP addresses associated with the activity indicated the user “IncestKyle” was likely in Lamoille County.  

ICAC investigators determined the IP address information was associated with various businesses, including a laundromat and a fast-food restaurant in Lamoille County, and that the cell phone utilized to access an email account linked with the social media profile “IncestKyle” had been purchased with defendant Hess’ debit card.  

Bank records from Hess’ debit card showed purchases by Hess at the laundromat and fast-food restaurant around the times of the uploads of child pornography.  ICAC investigators also linked photographs from the social media platform to Hess’ former residence in Johnson, Vermont.  Hess subsequently admitted to using the social media account and having altered at least one of the images he distributed.  

At the time of the criminal conduct for which Hess was sentenced today, Hess was subject to probationary supervision for a prior conviction for Possession of Child Pornography in Vermont Superior Court and faces additional proceedings involving his violations of probation.

Criminal threatening 

ST. ALBANS – An Enosburg woman is charged with disturbing the peace via phone or electronics and criminal threatening against the Department of Children and Families (DCF). 

On March 14 at about 3:46 PM, state troopers were advised of threatening and harassing phone calls being received by Department of Children and Families (DCF) workers based in the St. Albans District Office on Federal Street.

Investigation revealed that DCF workers had received 40 or more messages as well as text communication within a short time span. These messages were from 43-year-old Sherie Dishaw of Enosburg, police said. Dishaw’s communications were profane, harassing, and threatening in nature.

Dishaw was issued a criminal citation to appear in Franklin County Superior Court to answer to her charges. 

Current law allows a more severe sentence for criminal threatening of DCF workers, compared to criminal threatening of a citizen. Proposed law would broaden the more severe penalties to virtually all state, local and school employees. 

Fatal crash in Addison County

LEICESTER — A woman was killed during a crash involving a truck this afternoon in Addison County.

The two-vehicle crash took place at the intersection of US Route 7 and Leicester Whiting Road, in Leicester, at around 3:25 p.m. One of the drivers involved, identified as 69-year-old Lyudmila Cushing, of Fair Haven, sustained fatal injuries.

Police say Cushing was traveling east on Leicester Whiting Road prior to entering Route 7. A truck, driven by Norman Arnold, 59, of Brandon, was traveling south on US Route 7 prior to the crash.

The truck collided with Cushing at the intersection. The investigation is ongoing at this time, and police say anyone with information is asked to reach out to the Vermont State Police New Haven Barracks.

Troopers were assisted by Brandon Fire and Rescue at the scene.