Uncle Of Missing Vt. Girl Arrested

Police: Man Faces Unrelated Sex Charges, But Was One Of The Last People To See Girl

(AP)  Vermont State Police said Sunday the uncle of a missing 12-year-old girl - one of the last people to see her before she vanished - has been arrested on unrelated sex charges.

Michael Jacques, 42, of Randolph, who dropped off Brooke Bennett at a convenience store Wednesday and was seen leaving it in a different direction on a surveillance camera video, was charged with aggravated sexual assault against a minor. The alleged victim wasn't Bennett, who remained missing Sunday, despite an intensive search by state police, the FBI and other agencies.

Jacques, who is married to Bennett's mother's sister, is listed on Vermont sex offender registry. He was convicted of sexual assault and kidnapping in 1993.

The arrest came as the result of information uncovered by investigators assigned to the disappearance.

Jacques was being held at the Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield, pending an arraignment Monday. If convicted, he could get 10 years to life in prison.

Police said Jacques and a cousin of Brooke's dropped the girl at Cumberland Farms in Randolph about 9 a.m. Wednesday. On the video, which was released Friday, Jacques and Brooke are seen in the store, where Jacques makes a purchase with Brooke at his side. They walk out together, then part ways. She was seen about 45 minutes later inside a coin laundry, police said.

Her grandmother reported Bennett missing 12 hours later, and on Thursday an Amber Alert - the first in Vermont history - was issued for Brooke.

Police have said they believe Brooke may have been headed to meet someone with whom she had been communicating online. On Friday, Vermont State Police director Col. James Baker said the investigation centered on contacts Brooke made on the MySpace.com social networking site.

No suspects have been named in her disappearance.

[patriot12436]

If he was arrested for a sexual offense on another child, why didn''t the story read that way. Heqadline MISSING GIRL''S UNCLE ARRESTED. Makes it sound like he was involved in her disappearance when she was seen alive and alone 45 minutes after he dropped her off. Another case of *** reporting. I am sick of you idiots changing everything just to sell a story.

[gospadina]

I agree with patriot12436. The line between news and entertainment is becoming increasingly blurred.

[mydiatribe]

Did you know if you were to go into a prison and interview convicted *** offenders and ask them as to whether they believed rehabilitation works, most of them would say it does NOT!

When will we learn?
HOW MANY MORE INNOCENTS MUST DIE BEFORE THINGS CHANGE?

[ccdsswrkr08]

(I don''t care if the uncle did it or not, It looks like he didn''t at this point, it''s just the principle of the thing! Just another check mark for crappy parenting in the world)

[patriot12436]

cdsswrkr08
I agree the girls mother should have known her own brothers backgtound. Being retired law enforcement i agree rehab doesn''t work on most ofenders and i have never seen it work on *** offenders even when castrated.

[patriot12436]

ObambA1
You may be on to something there as well. He could have left her and picked her up later thus creating an alibi that he left her. I do know this the police never tell you everythig they know while investigating.

[simplemind2]

MySpace.com will let "lonely-heart" meets "cheating-heart" and results in "breaking-heart" or worse...
Stay in school and receive a decent education and you will meet someone along that path!

[miami_21]

a view from behind bars; i think it''s wrong for law enforcement to be able to break into anyone''s computer and read information of any kind. had our founding fathers knew about all the advances that would one day come this would have been included in the bill of rights. it''s wrong, it''s just the same as torture, giving someone a truth serum, it''s wrong.

may god help us all.

[aldon61]

The headlines on this story is just plain wrong! The implication that the uncle had anything to do with it is irresponsible journalism. CBS should be ashamed.

[ccdsswrkr08]

a view from behind bars; i think it''''s wrong for law enforcement to be able to break into anyone''''s computer and read information of any kind. had our founding fathers knew about all the advances that would one day come this would have been included in the bill of rights. it''''s wrong, it''''s just the same as torture, giving someone a truth serum, it''''s wrong.

may god help us all.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by miami_21 at 09:42 AM : Jun 30, 2008

They''re looking for the person who kidnaped a 12 year old girl. In this case it would be the same as pulling phone records. Do you really have a problem with this??

[lambofgoth]

patriot... this was not her mother''s brother. This was her mother''s sister''s husband. Simplemind... if it was only so easy. Are you saying that those that are unable to afford school (such as many in that part of rural Vermont) do not qualify for finding a partner?

[mediamomma]

lambofgoth - stop stereotyping. u have no idea about anything about rural vermont. perhaps u should live there before u judge.

[ccdsswrkr08]

hamiltonGRAD

You''ve gotta be joking. So if someone murders someone else, in cold blood, no self defense involved, they should not be punished? You know, that''s the kind of thinking that lets psychos and career criminals back out onto our streets where they just do more harm.

[observer2020]

The headlines on this story is just plain wrong! The implication that the uncle had anything to do with it is irresponsible journalism. CBS should be ashamed.

Posted by aldon61
______________________________________
Got you to read the story, didn''t it? That''s the whole idea about headlines...grab your attention, then tell you their spin on it.

[braniff77]

hamiltonGRAD: What backwoods college do you teach at? "We are all responsible if something "bad" occurs?" Nope, sorry. That''s the same twisted logic that clogs the courts with frivolous lawsuits ("It''s not my fault! Someone else is to blame.") Take responsibility for your own actions. The law-abiding citizens of this country have nothing to do with your misdeeds. And "Professor": learn how to spell "punishment"

[heero2020]

OJ did it.

[inventagod2]

hamiltonGRAD

Thanks for the humor...

[lambofgoth]

Mediamomma, what? Are you a flatlander or something? Suddenly, through your computer monitor you can see where I do or do not live??

[mediamomma]

lambofgoth - first, i didn''t make that comment to tick u off, i just wanted to point out that you stereotyped rural vt, that''s all. i know that just because its rural vt does not mean that they can''t afford education. u stereotyped the people of vt and that wasn''t fair. second, i have no idea where u do or where u do not live, nor is it any of my business. third, i am not, nor will i ever be, a flatlander. that would be just plain wrong. but based on your use of the term "flatlander" i assume u live in vt (and i did not mean that to be in a hurtful/mean spirited way - just to put it straight). i''m not here to pick fights.

[ccdsswrkr08]

Ok, what''s with all the searches. What point are we trying to prove exactly? (I''m actually curious, I cant seem to find where those posts started from)

[wolfear1]

I stopped searching after that because a realized you are just one of those idiots who feel like minorities are owed something. Face it your a racist. You keep implying that had thios been a black girl, there would be no media coverage. Ever heard of the Atlanta child murders? Take a basic computer class. You will learn how to use a search engine you low class, feel sorry for yourself nimrod.
Posted by codymac4 at 12:15 PM : Jun 30, 2008
Actually codymac4 it is pretty much the truth. Even the media admits that there is a disparity in reporting of missing children in particular teens that are minorities. Oddly enough that goes for male teens as well regardless of race. And I grew up outside of Atlanta when the murders were going on and it wasn''t "all over the news" until 23 were missing. So you might want to check "your" facts as well.

[flreason]

You may be right that there would have been less media attention if this girl had been black, but that doesn''t mean that her situation doesn''t warrant media attention. Every missing child deserves to have the media and resources focused on them. Sometimes the lack of attention is because the child had previous run-away episodes. Sometimes it''s because the family is disfunctional and they don''t come forward right away. The sooner the information is made public, the more likely there is to be a positive result. That''s why there are Amber alerts. When there is an Amber Alert in our area of Florida, they break into regular TV and radio programming with information, regardless of the missing child''s ethnicity.

[ccdsswrkr08]

Oh, Ok. Um, well then, maybe the fact that more white children are the victims of homicide a year than black children might have something to do with this. In 2005 575 white children between the ages of 1 day to 16 years old were killed. In 2005, 498 black children between the ages of 1 day and 16 years were killed.

http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/tables/08s0304.xls

[ccdsswrkr08]

so, it would be logical to think that with more white children being murdered in the usa, you will see more about white children getting murdered in the news.

[wolfear1]

flreason, I agree 100% there should be as much media coverage for any missing child as is possible. I meant in no way to suggest otherwise. Just trying to clarify something to codymac. and in case you wonder where I am getting my sources codymac, see link below.
http://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cfm?action=detail&pk=MISSING-MEDIA-11-23-05

[mediamomma]

i would like to know why it took someone in her family 12 hours to report her missing. and why didn''t anyone get the name of the "friend" she was supposedly meeting? and fyi, this is not an issue of race. this is a missing kid. my kid knows that if she was going to meet a friend to go to the hospital that the friend would come to our house to pick her up or we would pick up the friend i would drive, because now way in h*ll would i allow my kid to go off w/someone i did not know and if they can''t come to my house then she need not go anywhere. simple as that. it''s sad when people do not keep tabs on their kids this day and age. u hear so much about this happening & not just white kids either. it''s kids. period. stop trying to make this a political issue by playing the race card.

[lambofgoth]

Randolph is a stones throw from my home. It''s not a stereotype when the median income for a household in this area is beneath the state average. College isn''t a reality for a lot of people in this area. Since the original comment that made me say comment about education here pertains to staying in school in order to find a significant other, literally 80% of Braintree, where this girl is from, would need to remain single.

[ccdsswrkr08]

mediamomma

I agree with you 100%. I''m not playing any race card, was just stating a fact.

[mediamomma]

i''ll give u that. braintree is small (nice community tho and beautiful views there btw), but what''s w/the comment about finding a significant other and staying in school got to do w/brooke being missing? i don''t get it. and i''m not dumb. i just don''t understand what the comment has to do w/a missing kid. and being educated does not gurantee a significant other. u may meet someone but it doesn''t mean they''ll stay. but u may also not meet anyone at all.

[observer2020]

''The arrest came as the result of information uncovered by investigators assigned to the disappearance.'' This took days to ''uncover''...wonder how many manhours spent searching for this information that is readily available on any computer?

[lambofgoth]

Read the comment that got my original response.

[jetlizhan]

oh Lord, i hope she''s found alive and well.

[ccdsswrkr08]

dragonwagon5

What about these "staggering" numbers hmm?

In 2005 575 white children between the ages of 1 day to 16 years old were killed. In 2005, 498 black children between the ages of 1 day and 16 years were killed.

http://www.census.gov/compend
ia/statab/tables/08s0304.xls

[lambofgoth]

Dragonwagon5 shares a very odd resemblance to Keithle1.

[cerberusii]

All of you make me sick! Why can''t you pack of puritans get your head out of your fourth point of contact and help try and find this child. Just because you have so much time in your hands that you dedicate it to pointless comments on the internet, can only validate the fact that you don''t have the intelectual capacity to deal with adverse situations. Instead of focusing your energy on providing support to the family of the missing girl, you have your own agendas to promote your own narrow-minded thoughts and stir your own internal demons in a pot of $tupidity. I hope they find this young lady in good health, if not let''s hold public executions to serve as deterrent to others who wish to pursue a criminal career. Maybe some of you could benefit from the example.

[mediamomma]

thx lambofgoth - i saw the original comment. staying in school has nothing to do w/meeting people. i only hope they find her alive. i see the posters all over the place. breaks my heart. i can only imagine what her mother is going through.

observer2020 - do u realize how many convicted *** offenders are out there that don''t have to report their whereabouts? do u realize that they only have to report for 10 years after they r done with the criminal justice system? at least in vt they are. do u also realize that not all convicted *** offenders have to report on their whereabouts in certain situations and that sometimes the fact that they are even convicted is not readily available?

[wolfear1]

dragonwagon5 the difference in #''s is you are using per capita vs raw figures. And yes we african american do have a higher per capita rate of youth death. And we as a paople need to address this first before expecting anyone else to step in and help. As for "cerberusII" the vast majority of us are simply stating statisics about how the media chooses to jump on some missing child cases and not others and as I said earlier if a child is missing no matter what the race the media should be all over it. Hell we have tv channels for gameshows and soap operas that run 24-7 why not a national cable channel for all missing children?

[hamiltongrad]

Inventa: thank you !

[ccdsswrkr08]

dragonwagon5

These are from the SAME EXACT website you sent me to.

Homicides of Children under Age 5 by Race of Victim
Year White Black Other
2000 328 253 12
2001 354 260 16
2002 325 238 23
2003 349 234 15
2004 336 209 14
2005 328 218 10

[ccdsswrkr08]

Those are the actual number of children in those years that were murdered.

[ccdsswrkr08]

And you know what dragonwagon5, everyone is right. it doesn''t matter what race the little girl is, point is, she''s a little girl, who''s missing, who could very well be in danger of dieing. If you were any true humanitarian, and not a racist, it wouldn''t matter what color she is.

[kuei12]

"unrelated *** charges"

Does that mean it is now illigeal in vermont to have *** with someone who isn''t your cousin, brother, sister or kid?

[kuei12]

WOW! S *E X is a forbidden word here?
Only in america...LOL

[ccdsswrkr08]

dragonwagon5

No, it''s the total count of children of each race (black and white) killed in the USA in those years. What you posted, is a statistical average per 100,000 population. Do you know what that means? That means that is the percentage of the amount of black people and the amount of white people in given populations across the US that is killed. Mine are the actual numbers. Not a percentage average.

[ccdsswrkr08]

dragonwagon5

No, say the real reason why you''re shutting up. Because you were proven wrong. I think everyone will have SO much more respect for you if you just admit that the facts have proven you wrong.

[ccdsswrkr08]

dragonwagon5

Statistically speaking more white children are murdered in the USA than black children. So, it would make sense that you would see more about white children being killed in the news than black children being killed, cause IT JUST HAPPENS MORE OFTEN!!

[mediamomma]

okay - stop talking about kids being murdered. we don''t know if she is alive or dead. she''s just missing for now. we need to stay vigilant and hope that she stays alive and returns home. for all anyone knows she may not even have been abducted. she may have just run away from home. nothing is for certain yet. so please stop talking about murdered kids. it''s disheartening. pray that brooke is unharmed and makes it home.

[ccdsswrkr08]

mediamomma

Of course we''re all praying and hoping that she is alive and well. Honestly for the most part the arguement isn''t even about brooke at this point. Unfortunatly it''s gone beyond that. And we''ve lost sight of the real issue. A child is missing. We all hope she is found alive and well.

[wolfear1]

I can''t believe I am saying this but codymac is right about this one. We all do pray that she is alive and well but odds are very much against it after 24 hours.

[ccdsswrkr08]

wolfear1 and codymac4 are right. Unfortunatly