A former Vermont State Police trooper has been arrested on charges of repeatedly sexually assaulting a minor in Vernon between 2002 and 2005.
Todd Chisholm, 56, of North Brookfield, Massachusetts, pleaded not guilty to one count of aggravated sexual assault, two counts of sexual assault with fear of imminent bodily injury, and one count of lewd and lascivious conduct with a child at the Vermont Superior Court in Brattleboro on Monday. He faces up to life in prison.
Chisholm’s alleged victim said the abuse began when she was 9 years old, and Chisholm was 40, lasting for several years, according to an affidavit of probable cause for the case.
She reported that Chisholm had told her he loved her, and promised that they would be together once she was older, while repeatedly molesting her. She told investigators that Chisholm had raped her twice before the age of 15 — once at a sleepover, while his daughter slept in the next bed over, and once on the back of a motorcycle.
Chisholm was having an affair with the child’s mother at the time, according to court documents. Chisholm worked as a Vermont state trooper from February 1988 until September 2001. He could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
The first time the victim ever told anyone about the abuse was more than a decade later, when she was receiving treatment for a heroin addiction, and told her mother what had happened, making her promise not to tell anyone, according to the affidavit.
Then, a few years later, in January 2018, she decided to call Chisholm’s wife and tell her about the abuse she endured as a child.
Chisholm’s then-wife told police she had been assaulted by Chisholm numerous times throughout their marriage and at the time she received the call, was looking for a way out.
She said when she got the call from his victim, she immediately called her attorney, who advised her to call her husband and tell him that she knew what happened, and that he needed to get his stuff off their property or she would call the police. Chisholm quickly came to retrieve his belongings, according to the affidavit.
The couple legally divorced in July 2018.
Chisholm admitted what he had done at the time to Pastor Bruce Burks of the Vernon Adventist Church, according to the affidavit. It is unclear what the specifics of his confession were. Burks told police that he spoke with someone in the Windham County’s State’s Attorney Office at the time to ensure he was following reporting laws.
Following Chisholm’s divorce, he called his ex-wife numerous times, saying he was sorry, and asking her to convince his rape victim not to press charges, according to the affidavit.
He reportedly told his wife that his victim “was the only one there for me,” to which his wife reminded him that she was only 11.
In November 2020, Chisholm and his victim had a conversation about the abuse, in an attempt for her to find closure about what had happened. She told police that he repeatedly said he didn’t remember what happened, but said he remembered having the affair with her mother, and knew she was upset about that.
“I don’t remember any of that stuff. I just don’t,” he said, according to the affidavit. “It’s not there in my head. I don’t know what to tell ya. I don’t know what to tell ya and you’re not crazy. I’m not saying you’re crazy. You know the first thing they say about somebody who thinks they’re crazy is that hey, they could be crazy that then usually means that they’re sane people, so I’m not sitting here saying you’re crazy. I don’t know what else I can tell ya.”
He had several conversations with friends and family about the allegations, but never clearly admitted to the abuse, according to the affidavit.
Police received a report of the allegations in September 2019, and investigated for over a year before finding probable cause. Officers located and arrested Chisholm at his residence in North Brookfield, Massachusetts, on Dec. 19.
He was released Monday on $250,000 bail.
