Lewd and Lascivious Conduct with a Child
Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office announced that Trint Johns, 20, of Montpelier, Vermont, was arraigned yesterday on one felony count of Lewd and Lascivious Conduct with a Child, two felony counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials, and one felony count of Promoting a Recording of Sexual Conduct. The charges brought against Mr. Johns are the result of a criminal investigation, including the execution of search warrants conducted by the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC), which included personnel from the Attorney General’s Office, Vermont State Police, and Homeland Security Investigations.
The investigation was initiated when VT-ICAC received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The tip had been forwarded by the police department of Kernersville, North Carolina. Based on the criminal investigation of that tip, Mr. Johns was identified as a person who possessed multiple images of child sexual abuse materials.
Mr. Johns pleaded not guilty to all counts at his arraignment yesterday, May 13, 2025, in Vermont Superior Court, Washington Criminal Division. The Court, Judge Michael Harris presiding, ordered conditions of release which restrict Mr. Johns’s access to minors, deadly weapons, electronic devices, and the internet.
VT-ICAC investigates cases of child sexual exploitation occurring over the internet, including the production and online distribution of child sexual abuse materials. VT-ICAC also provides forensic examination services, technical assistance, law enforcement training, and public education and outreach.
Every child deserves a safe childhood. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) is the nation’s centralized reporting system for the online exploitation of children. Anyone can make reports of suspected online enticement of children for sexual acts, child sexual molestation, child sexual abuse material, child sex tourism, child sex trafficking, unsolicited obscene materials sent to a child, misleading domain names, and misleading words or digital images on the internet. To make a report, call the 24-hour call center at 1-800-843-5678 or visit https://report.cybertip.org.
Additionally, if you are recovering from child sexual exploitation, you do not have to navigate it alone. NCMEC can help with emotional and peer support, removing content from the internet, and locating mental health professionals. For more information, please visit https://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/csam-resources or call the 24-hour call center at 1-800-843-5678.
The Attorney General’s Office emphasizes that individuals charged with a crime are legally presumed innocent until their guilt is proven beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
5.14.2025. MONTPELIER, Vt. – Attorney General
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