Contact: Charity R. Clark, Chief of Staff, 802-828-3171
The Attorney General’s Office announced that Keith Partridge, 37, of Springfield, Vermont, was arraigned today on two felony and three misdemeanor counts of Possession of Child Sex Abuse Materials. The charges brought against Mr. Partridge are the result of a criminal investigation – including the execution of residential and online data search warrants – conducted by the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC), including personnel from the Attorney General’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, Vermont State Police, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, and Springfield Police Department.
The investigation was initiated when the VT-ICAC Task Force received CyberTipline Reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an individual possessed what was suspected to be images of child sexual abuse material, commonly referred to as “child pornography,” on the Snapchat platform. Based upon the criminal investigation of this tip, Mr. Partridge was identified as the source of the suspected content on the identified accounts. During the execution of a search warrant on Mr. Partridge’s residence, additional devices were recovered that will be forensically examined.
Mr. Partridge pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in the Vermont Superior Court, Windsor Criminal Division. The Court, Superior Court Judge John Treadwell presiding, ordered conditions of release which prohibit Mr. Partridge’s access to minors and prohibit him from leaving Windsor County.
The VT-ICAC Task Force investigates cases of child sexual exploitation occurring over the internet, including the production and online distribution of child sexual abuse materials. The VT-ICAC Task Force also provides forensic examination services, technical assistance, law enforcement training, and public education and outreach. The Attorney General’s Office, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Vermont State Police, Homeland Security Investigations and other federal, state, county, and municipal law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies are affiliated with VT-ICAC Task Force.
The Attorney General 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.