Montpelier Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Child Exploitation Case

Rutland, Vermont - The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Vermont stated that on April 10, 2026, Jeffery Paul Coolidge, 61, of Montpelier, Vermont, was sentenced by United States District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr., to a term of 240 months of imprisonment to be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release. Coolidge previously pleaded guilty to Distribution and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).

According to court records, Coolidge befriended a family who had recently immigrated to the United States. The family had two young children, including a 6-year-old boy. Coolidge invited the family to dinner, gave the children gifts, and asked to be able to play with the children. In March of 2023, Coolidge falsely told the children's father that he had a medical exam to prepare for in order to gain access to the 6-year-old boy. Coolidge instead sexually abused the boy. In August of 2023, Coolidge again sexually abused the boy while babysitting him and took photographs of the abuse. Coolidge then distributed those photographs to a dark-web site he frequented.

First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the Vermont Attorney General's Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Montpelier Police Department, the Australian Federal Police, and the Department of Homeland Security Cyber Crimes Center.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corinne Smith and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Van de Graaf. Coolidge was represented by William Vasiliou, Esq.

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.