![]() ![]() Federal prosecutors have asked that he be detained while his case is pending. If convicted, Tierney faces a minimum of 10 years in federal prison. ![]() They would also have to register with the sex offender registry.īrian Tierney, 48 of Colchester has been accused at the federal level because authorities say he was using his cell phone to communicate with the undercover agent. If convicted, each person faces up to five years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines. They are prohibited from having communication with children under 16 and from using any devices that can access the Internet. Several men were released on unsecured appearance bonds, which means they will be held on that amount if they fail to appear in court. Desmarais and Rose requested that they be transported to court on Tuesday to enter their pleas.Īll were given some sort of bail based on the severity of their cases, their criminal records, and their potential risk of flight. Each was charged with a single felony count of using electronic communication to lure a child for sexual exploitation.Ĭurtis, Infantes, Masic, Merritt, Shannon and Sheltra denied their charges. The men accused at the state level following the sting are Gregory Curtis, 57, of Burlington Ralph Desmarais, 38, of South Burlington Daniel Infantes, 36, of South Burlington Sanel Masic, 29, of Winooski Jason Merritt, 29, of Chicopee, Massachusetts Zachary Rose, 27, of Milton Edward Shannon, 51, of Essex Junction and Randy Sheltra, 55, of Alburgh. The round-up in Chittenden County was part of an undercover operation run by the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. ![]() Seven of the men had hearings at Vermont Superior Court in Burlington Monday, while another was in court Friday. Most appeared in court via video from Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility.Ī ninth man has been accused in federal court of using a "facility of interstate commerce" to lure a person younger than 18 to participate in sexual activity. Nine men were arrested during an undercover operation over the weekend during which investigators posed as girls to identify people using online social networks to lure children into sex acts. RYAN MERCER AND ELIZABETH MURRAY/FREE PRESS ![]()
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