Richmond, Vermont Man Charged with Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials

Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Kenneth Beane, 37, of Richmond, Vermont, has been charged by criminal complaint with Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials. On September 8, 2025, Beane appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle. A detention hearing was held on September 9, 2025, during which the government requested Beane be held pending trial, due to his prior federal conviction for possession of child sexual abuse materials (“CSAM”) and his prior violations of release conditions that included unapproved contacts with minors. Magistrate Judge Doyle denied the government’s motion and ordered Beane released on conditions that included location monitoring, not having contact with children, and avoiding places where children are likely to congregate.

According to court records, in July of 2025, Homeland Security Investigations began investigating a person who was sharing CSAM materials on a peer-to-peer network involving sexual assaults of prepubescent children. The IP address for the person sharing the materials led investigators to a residence in Richmond, Vermont which was determined to be Beane’s home. On September 8, 2025, HSI and members of the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force executed a federal search warrant at Beane’s Richmond apartment. Inside the apartment, law enforcement found a hand-held tablet on which CSAM materials were located.

The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that Beane is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Due to his prior conviction, Beane faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years of imprisonment and a maximum sentence of up to 20 years of imprisonment, if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.

Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the Merrimack County (New Hampshire) Sheriff’s Office, and the Vermont ICAC Task Force. Acting U.S. Attorney Drescher also thanked the Vermont Attorney General’s Office and the Richmond, Vermont Police Department for their assistance.

The prosecutors are Assistant United States Attorneys David Golubock and Jonathan Ophardt. Beane is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.