In Brattleboro, former Vermont State Police trooper Todd Chisholm, 59, received a 30-day prison sentence and six years of probation for lewd and lascivious conduct with a minor. Initially charged with repeatedly sexually assaulting a child under 16 in Vernon two decades ago, Chisholm accepted a plea deal to the lesser charge, avoiding a potential life sentence. He served 13 years as a state trooper before leaving the force.
The victim, now an adult, expressed dissatisfaction with the leniency of the sentence, but Deputy State's Attorney David Gartenstein explained that the plea deal was intended to prevent the victim from having to testify publicly. Gartenstein acknowledged the short prison term but emphasized the significant supervision period during probation.
Gartenstein admitted a preference for a harsher sentence but considered the agreement a stringent consequence negotiated without trial. Judge John Treadwell noted that the sentence, though a compromise, provided a resolution for all parties involved.
The victim, unnamed in court documents, met Chisholm through a family connection around 1998-1999 when she was nearly 10 years old. She reported the abuse to authorities shortly before turning 27 in 2019. Chisholm, who relocated to Massachusetts after leaving the police force, expressed remorse in a brief court statement, apologizing to the victim, her mother, his family, and the court before being taken to jail.
Chisholm's career spanned from February 1988 to September 2001 with the Vermont State Police. The court proceedings aimed to balance justice for the victim with the complexities of revisiting long-past crimes, ultimately prioritizing the victim's desire for safety over extended incarceration for the perpetrator.
Link: VT Digger