White River Junction Resident Charged with Luring a Child

The Attorney General's Office today announced that Ryan Upham, 27, formerly of Bethel and currently living in White River Junction, Vermont, was sentenced in the Vermont Superior Court, Windsor Criminal Division, after pleading guilty to one felony count of Luring a Child.

The charge brought against Mr. Upham was the result of a criminal investigation conducted by the Hartford Police Department and the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC) during which Mr. Upham engaged in sexually explicit conversations with an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old child.

The Court, Judge Elizabeth Mann presiding, sentenced the defendant to 18 months to five years to serve, all suspended with probation. Mr. Upham will be placed on a seven-year term of probation with conditions that mandate completion of sex offender programming, limit his contact with children, and restrict his access to the internet.

If Mr. Upham violates the terms of his probation, he faces up to five years in prison. Mr. Upham is also required to register as a sex offender for 10 years after completion of his sentence.

VT-ICAC investigates cases of child sexual exploitation occurring over the internet, including the production and online distribution of child sexual abuse materials. VT-ICAC also provides forensic examination services, technical assistance, law enforcement training, and public education and outreach.

Every child deserves a safe childhood. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) is the nation's centralized reporting system for the online exploitation of children. Anyone can make reports of suspected online enticement of children for sexual acts, child sexual molestation, child sexual abuse material, child sex tourism, child sex trafficking, unsolicited obscene materials sent to a child, misleading domain names, and misleading words or digital images on the internet. To make a report, call the 24-hour call center at 1-800-843-5678 or visit https://report.cybertip.org .

Additionally, if you are recovering from child sexual exploitation, you do not have to navigate it alone. NCMEC can help with emotional and peer support, removing content from the internet, and locating mental health professionals. For more information, please visit https://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/csam-resources or call the 24-hour call center at 1-800-843-5678.

CONTACT: Amelia Vath, Senior Advisor to the Attorney General, 802-828-3171