State Police Release Information About Rutland Porn Investigation

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(Host)  The state Supreme Court will now decide whether the public has a right to know the name of the Rutland City police officer being investigated for alleged possession of child pornography.  

And as VPR’s Nina Keck reports, state police also released new information on the case.

(Keck) The name of the officer will remain unknown for now.  The officer’s attorney, Matt Harnett, filed an appeal to the state Supreme Court after Rutland District Judge Thomas Zonay denied a final motion to keep the officer’s name sealed. Harnett says he’s not certain when the state’s highest court will take up the issue.

(Harnett) "Most appeals have a jury trial first and then a verdict and then it goes to the Supreme Court.   This is different because it was not an entire case that went forward. It was just a particular issue on a search warrant."

(Keck)   According to a police affidavit, last summer investigators found evidence of child pornography on the officer’s police issued laptop.  But state police now say there is insufficient evidence to indicate that the images were knowingly and intentionally downloaded.    

The police affidavit also says that last September they found several racks of pornographic DVDs and other materials in the officer’s work area. But state police now say that a medical expert cannot verify that the images depicted anyone younger than 16.  

Attorney Matt Harnett says until his client is charged with a crime, his identity should be protected.

(Harnett) "We’re at a very preliminary stage.  They’ve gathered evidence. And there’s no result of their investigation yet. So this kind of appeal has to do with is it fair to unseal this stuff under these circumstances."

(Keck) Despite the lack of criminal charges, many wonder why the officer in question was allowed to remain on duty for so long.   

Rutland City Police Chief Anthony Bossi says that while he was aware that one of his officers was being investigated on suspicion of child pornography, he didn’t have enough information to take disciplinary action. 

That is until the attorney general’s office provided him with police affidavits and search warrant documents last Friday.  

Bossi says once aware of the details of the investigation, he suspended the officer from duty that same day.  

The police chief says in his 12-year career in Rutland, this is the third time an officer has been investigated for accessing pornography with police computers.    

(Bossi) "I feel I need to – being the chief of police – apologize to the community – that even if there’s one incidence of inappropriate material on a computer, because there should be no incidence of inappropriate materials on a computer. The vast majority of the Rutland City Police Department are hard working dedicated professional employees."

(Keck) Bossi says to his knowledge, there is no connection between this investigation and a recent child pornography investigation at the Vermont Police Academy in Pittsford.    

For VPR News, I’m Nina Keck in Rutland.

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