Monday, April 13, 2009

Ex-Stepdad of Slain Girl : Guilty of Child Porn

dallasnews.com : Ex-stepdad of slain girl pleads to porn charge.

Now, why isn't this story being given more widespread news coverage ????
This girl's killing spurred months of news and forced new sex offender laws in Vermont.
Now comes the news that she was murdered by her own uncle and her step-dad had masses of child porn.
Which sex offender law would have prevented this?

The former stepfather of a 12-year-old girl killed in Vermont last year pleaded guilty to transportation of child pornography under an agreement signed by a federal judge Monday. Raymond Gagnon will be sentenced to at least five years in prison during a hearing July 10, according to the agreement signed by U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez. Gagnon could get up to 20 years in prison.

The FBI searched Gagnon's home after his 12-year-old former stepdaughter, Brooke Bennett, disappeared in Vermont last summer.

A 14-year-old girl told authorities at the time that Brooke was going to be initiated into a "program for sex," something the teenager had been involved in since she was 9. Brooke was found dead a week later. Authorities say she had been drugged and raped.

Brooke's uncle, convicted sex offender Michael Jacques, has been charged in her kidnapping, rape and death.

Gagnon (Ex step dad) was initially charged with obstruction of justice in Brooke's disappearance and death but federal authorities later dropped the count. In the plea agreement, Gagnon admitted to having hundreds of images and video files of prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including sexual acts with adults. Gagnon collected many of the images when he was living in Alabama, before moving to Texas, according to the document.