[T]he father of a high-profile murderer and a convicted child molester whose initial light sentence caused a judicial firestorm were among eight men who have been charged with possession and promotion of child pornography.
In addition, a nurse who had been in a doctorate of nursing practice program at the University of Vermont was also charged as part of the probe.
The eight men were arrested after a joint state-federal investigation, Operation Bada Bing, the name of a fictional nightclub in the “Sopranos” television series.
“This is not pornography,” Vermont Attorney General TJ Donovan said at a news conference Wednesday. “This is violence against children and violence against infants.”
Among those arrested was Louis Hamlin II, 75, the father of Louis Hamlin III. The younger Hamlin was sentenced to 45 years to life in prison for the 1981 rape and murder of a teenage girl on her way home from school in Essex Junction. Another girl, left for dead, survived.
The Essex Junction case prompted a special session of the Vermont Legislature because Hamlin’s co-defendant, Jamie Savage, was 15. Under Vermont law, the only punishment Savage could face was detention at a juvenile center until being freed on his 18th birthday. The Legislature changed the law so that youths as young as 10 could be charged in adult court for certain crimes.
The elder Hamlin, in a separate case, was sentenced to six to 15 years in jail for molesting a teenage girl in 1981. He lives in Huntington.
Also charged in the recent child porn investigation was Mark Hulett, 48, of Ferrisburgh, who was convicted in 2006 of having sexual contact with a girl, beginning when she was 6, over a four-year period.
In the 2006 case, Judge Edward Cashman initially sentenced Hulett to 60 days in jail to ensure he received prompt sex offender treatment, which was only offered when an offender was near the end of a jail term. Hulett was later sentenced to three years in jail after a public firestorm that included calls for Cashman’s impeachment and a swarm of media criticism, including from Bill O’Reilly of Fox News who called Cashman “the worst judge in America.” The resentencing happened after the Vermont Department of Corrections changed policy and offered treatment sooner.
Nurse Sean Fiore, 35, of Burlington was also charged in the recent investigation. In April, he was listed in a research publication as pursuing a doctorate in nursing practice at UVM.
Hamlin, Hulett, Fiore and 61-year-old Russell Biathrow of Killington faced federal charges of child pornography possession/promotion.
Hamlin and Hulett pleaded not guilty in May and are being detained pending trial, according to court documents. Biathrow was also detained and a not guilty plea was entered by the court, documents show. Fiore was released on conditions after appearing in federal court, according to court records.
According to state and federal authorities, four other people face state charges, including Frank Farley, 37, of Rutland; Uriah Shows, 29, of Middlebury; Bernard Tinker, 58, of Colchester and Richard Weston, 25, of Huntington. The status of their cases was unknown.
The operation was conducted by the Vermont’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC) and federal Homeland Security investigators who executed search warrants on several residences during the week of May 13th based on tips received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. These tips are typically generated by internet service providers or social media platforms when they detect suspected child sexual exploitation material on their networks, according to a statement by the U.S. attorney and Vermont attorney general.
The investigation included use of a dog, Mojo, a yellow Labrador, who assisted when search warrants were issued in locating evidence including micro computer cards used to store photographs and information.
“Society should be judged by how it protects its most innocent and vulnerable members,” said U.S. Attorney Christina Nolan. “Children are our future, and we will fight tirelessly for their safety.” The announcement, she said, reflects our commitment, as a Vermont law enforcement team, to bring serious charges and consequences to those who would harm and exploit children.”
Donovan said: “We need to continue to raise awareness and support ICAC’s mission so that all children – regardless of where they live – are not subject to violent exploitation.”
Task Force Commander Matthew Raymond said while there used to be a finite number of these images circulating that law enforcement would see over and over, the internet has now caused that number to balloon up to nearly four million videos and images, with more being produced every day.
“And at the other end of that number, there are real children being abused,” Raymond said.
