Cops Search Home Of Missing Girl's Uncle

Sex Offender Relative Was Last To See 12-Year-Old Vermont Girl

(CBS/ AP)  The investigation of the disappearance of a 12-year-old girl zeroed in on her uncle Monday, with police searching his home while he was being arraigned on sex charges in an unrelated case.

Michael Jacques, a registered sex offender who was one of the last people seen with Brooke Bennett before she vanished, pleaded not guilty to a charge of aggravated sexual assault and was held in lieu of $250,000 bail.

Jacques attorney, L. Brooke Dingledine, called the evidence against him in that case "very sparse."

Col. James Baker, the head of the Vermont State Police, called Jacques a "person of interest" in Brooke's case at a Monday press briefing. He said investigators began focusing on Jacques based on information developed over the weekend through computer forensics.

The other girl, a relative of Jacques', says he assaulted her over a five-year period, beginning when she was 9 years old and ending a few weeks ago, Orange County State's Attorney Will Porter said.

Authorities released an affidavit in which State Police Detective Sgt. William Jenkins said the girl told police that when she was 9 or 10, she was told - by telephone call and in a note left under her pillow - that she had been selected for enrollment in a "program for sex" and that Jacques was to be her trainer.

The girl, identified only as "A.R." in court papers, said she was told two other girls also were in the program. "The first who does it lives and the second gets her throat cut," she told police, according to the affidavit.

According to the affidavit, the girl said she met two other men besides Jacques who were affiliated with the program. But it didn't specify whether the girl said she had sex with the other men.

Baker said police were investigating whether the alleged sex ring actually existed or whether it was a ruse Jacques allegedly created to intimidate the girl into having sex with him.

"The State Police would like to speak with any child or teenager who may have had contact with Michael Jacques," Baker said.

At the home of Jacques, 42, in Randolph, Vermont State Police called in state police from Connecticut and Massachusetts and used a helicopter and dogs to search the area.

Jacques, who is married to a sister of Brooke's mother, dropped Brook off at a convenience store in Randolph on Wednesday.

She had told family members she was going to meet a friend and visit a hospitalized relative of the friend but police believe that was a lie. Investigators believe Brooke may have been bound for a meeting with an unknown individual with whom she had been communicating through an online social networking site.

"I am hoping and praying that she was not talking to anybody regularly," Brooke's mother, Cassandra Gagnon, told CBS' The Early Show.

Surveillance video showed Brooke and Jacques leaving the store and going in separate directions.

Brooke, who just finished seventh grade, has not been seen since.

Her sister, Savanna Andress, expressed her pain over Brooke's disappearance. Fighting back tears, Savanna told The Early Show, "She's my other half. And I'm starting to go crazy without her. She makes me happy when I need her, and I need her now."

The prosecutor had argued against the judge's decision to grant bail.

Jacques has 1993 convictions for kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault and there is "a threat of prejudicial violence to this particular juvenile complainant," said Porter, in arguing for no bail. "Her personal safety was threatened."

He also noted the serious nature of the crime, which could lead to a life prison term, and said Jacques had violated the terms of his probation.

[jnorthrup982]

What is wrong with everyone? It took the cops a week to find out the uncle was a registered *** offender? I feel so sorry for the girl to have such an ignorant family. If that was my daughter within the hour of her disappearence I would have been at that man''s house pounding on the door. I guess it takes a real mom and dad to figure out a *** offender will always be a *** offender, and to not let their children around them.

[ilhuskers]

I just cant say how sorry Sherry and I feel about this. But this is only one more of the hundreds to come if our lawmakers dont give these sick deranged people in prison and keep them there. Take note of the Ken Snider case in Fairbury Nebraska. He not only molested two girls but two that the state let him and his wife adopt. Now its being pushed under the table and a few weeks ago he was convicted and it didnt even make the local news paper. What kind of msg is that to others. I talked with the people involved and it was clear they didnt want to put this man away were he belonged. Feel free to e-mail me at [e-mail] for more info.

[cdee12120]

This story blows my mind... Vermont who would ever think...Watching this excerpt on CBS morning this morning, I could only think the sister seemed the most conscious.. the parents seemed sedated..
What is so upsetting is that the two men in custody are the mother''s husband and the maternal aunt''s husband... didn''t these women see any perverse behaviour from these men...they were both attracted to deviance...makes you question there father or stepfather''s behaviour...
Child *** rings in Vermont who would ever guess...internet porn should be removed entirely from the internet... let the perverts go back to the seedy adult book stores and get there porn in a brown paper bag...where there is a public shame to this behaviour...I am not at all a conservative...I vote democrat 9 out of 10 times but common moral sense is not that difficult...the internet porn has gotten so out of control that Jethro in the back woods wants a piece of the action.... Every man involved in this child *** ring should receive twenty five years to life without the possibility of parole...in the correctional institutions population..not protective custody where they can compare notes on child perversion....

[ilhuskers]

I just cant say how sorry Sherry and I feel about this. But this is only one more of the hundreds to come if our lawmakers dont give these sick deranged people in prison and keep them there. Take note of the Ken Snider case in Fairbury Nebraska. He not only molested two girls but two that the state let him and his wife adopt. Now its being pushed under the table and a few weeks ago he was convicted and it didnt even make the local news paper. What kind of msg is that to others. I talked with the people involved and it was clear they didnt want to put this man away were he belonged. Feel free to e-mail me at [e-mail] for more info.

[formrusmcsgt]

"I am hoping and praying that she was not talking to anybody regularly," Brooke''s mother, Cassandra Gagnon, told CBS'' The Early Show.
---
Why doesn''t she KNOW?

[megamanx1-2009]

Do I really need to put up the statistics about how many white children have been killed in the us and how many black children. Statistically people, they report about white children getting killed more, because MORE WHITE CHILDREN GET KILLED! it''''s a simple fact.


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Posted by ccdsswrkr08 at 04:45 PM : Jul 01, 2008

there are 40 million+ black people in the U.S. Roughly 12% of the 300 million population. So by your math I should see 12% of the coverage of black abducted/missing kids.

I see MAYBE 1% on national T.V....

Is that biased??

[megamanx1-2009]

Let''''s just say, there may be a tragedy here. (Regardless of color) and that more than likely it will end badly with the family having lost not only a daughter but an uncle as well. "


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Posted by toldyouso12 at 03:33 PM : Jul 01, 2008

Easy to say when you are on the good side of it. Plus, you are completely missing the point. I never said anything about who committed the crime, I was saying the crime itself is not reported unless it''s a young white girl. I''m not talking about the criminal, i''m talking about lack of coverage for the victim.

"there are 300 million people in the US and most of them are white, in every town on every day, a crime is committed--don''''t expect there is fairness in reporting tragedy"

Posted by toldyouso12 at 03:33 PM : Jul 01, 2008

Well at least you admit there''s biased coverage....

[ccdsswrkr08]

iCi2i

Oops sorry. that was my mistake. I should have read your post more thuroughly. And I agree. Brand em, remove the parts, stable their eye lids open, torture as much as possible.

[ici2i]

. They deserve it, (heck they deserve alot worse)

Posted by ccdsswrkr08

Please re-read my posts! I didn''t say instead of registering, I meant that marking them in addition to registering would improve visibility and public knowledge. I also like the idea of removing the parts that drive them to be predators in the first place including between the legs and in the mind rendering them impotent and incapable. Anything to keept these creeps away from a child. Whatever we do, don''t ask the clergy what they would do....just plain too conservative for these conversations.

[ccdsswrkr08]

Do I really need to put up the statistics about how many white children have been killed in the us and how many black children. Statistically people, they report about white children getting killed more, because MORE WHITE CHILDREN GET KILLED! it''s a simple fact.

[ccdsswrkr08]

One_Texan: I like it! You do the crime, the court will have you marked for all to see including our vulnerable children. How effective is registering in the real world and how many children has it really protected? I will also advocate for prohibiting internet access for the convicted creeps but moniitoring and enforcement may prove to be untenable.

Posted by iCi2i at 03:43 PM : Jul 01, 2008

Are you seriuos? You don''t think *** offenders should register? I''m pleased as pie that I know who every *** offender within a 100 mile radius is. As the mother of a baby girl, I sure as hell want to know who''s been charged with a *** crime in the neighborhood my daughter is going to grow up in. And I hope it embaresses the *** out of em. They deserve it, (heck they deserve alot worse)

[toldyouso12]

One_Texan: I like it! You do the crime, the court will have you marked for all to see including our vulnerable children. How effective is registering in the real world and how many children has it really protected? I will also advocate for prohibiting internet access for the convicted creeps but moniitoring and enforcement may prove to be untenable.

Posted by iCi2i at 03:43 PM : Jul 01, 2008


tattoos can be removed, let them wear ankle bracelets that connect to their *******. If they come within the vicinity of a place for children they get zapped. With just a few "experiences" like that, they will become socially conditioned to not want to be near kids--or..we could just lock them up for life (since they can''t be killed now) or cut off their fingers, weenies and tongues and they won''t be able to grab, prod or poke anything anymore. Instead of tattoos we can just tell our kids to stay away from the guys with no fingers who drool a lot.

[ici2i]

One_Texan: I like it! You do the crime, the court will have you marked for all to see including our vulnerable children. How effective is registering in the real world and how many children has it really protected? I will also advocate for prohibiting internet access for the convicted creeps but moniitoring and enforcement may prove to be untenable.

[s819431]

The parents are partly responsible for allowing their daughter to be alone with a registered *** offender. Forget that he''''s married into the family. There is a convicted *** offender in my family. I don''''t have any children, but if I did, I would never allow my child to be alone with him. Also, I wouldn''''t consider a tattoo across the forehead reading S e x Offender to be cruel and unusual or excessive punishment. I think it would be more effective than registering s e x offenders, as it would be a warning to everyone and it would make potential s e x offenders think twice about how it would feel to have guilt literally written on their faces for everyone to see.

I agree tatoo it on their forehead that way everyone will know their shame.

[toldyouso12]

Eh, It just gets on my nerves that the only stories that get any national coverage are of white girls. Apparently, there are no minority girls who EVER get kidnapped, abducted, go missing, etc....

this coverage is biased, racist, and sick in my opinion...

Posted by MegamanX1 at 11:06 AM : Jul 01, 2008


Get a grip--by publishing so many stories of this nature, it makes it also look like mostly white males are perps for child rapes and murders. If they DID show more minorities getting raped and murdered and the suspects turned out to be black males--you''d be whining about that. Right now, many black groups complain that crimes laid primarily at their door by the media are also perpetrated by other races but it is not covered--this leads to bias that only blacks are drug sellers or killers or theives...now they are turning out more stories of white on white crime and because all of you are used to whining--you whine about that. The media can''t win for losing.

Let''s just say, there may be a tragedy here. (Regardless of color) and that more than likely it will end badly with the family having lost not only a daughter but an uncle as well. As for your hangups about not getting equal tragedy time--give it up, there are 300 million people in the US and most of them are white, in every town on every day, a crime is committed--don''t expect there is fairness in reporting tragedy and everything is not a contest about who gets the most attention.

[toldyouso12]

My thoughts and prayers are with the Bennett family.
I don''''t believe there will be a good outcome in this case. I am horrified to think an uncle could do something like this. Kinda blows the theory "If you cant trust your family, who can you trust?!"
Posted by mainemade at 10:40 AM : Jul 01, 2008


Most child molestations and rapes are committed by family members--that theory of family trust should have blown up long ago. Stats showing most child rapists victimize their own families has been on the books since the early 19th century.

[toldyouso12]

All part of natures little plan to keep us together instead of a nonsocial species, like most of the big cats, who forgive no one anything.


Posted by clgl_fubar at 01:52 PM : Jul 01, 2008

Nature has absolutely NOTHING to do with the social groups of humans. That is a socialogical and psychological conditioning that is reinforced in almost every aspect of our lives.

People can and do often live hermit -like existence and do quite well--but in order to promote and maintain a functioning (and therefore more lucrative and powerful) society--there are many factors that discourage people abandoning society.

No woman worth her salt, would trust any person implicitly reagrdless of association or gender. The sad fact is, good friends, relatives, bosses, clergy, etc will use bad judgment or have other agendas--it is up to each mom to minimize who comes in contact with and who has access to her kids 24/7--and that includes the kids'' dad, grandpa, or other males or lovers of her women acquaintances.

Molestation is a crime of opportunity. It''s up to moms to minimize the circumstances and situations that lead to these opportunities.

[toldyouso12]

Family member or not, who in their RIGHT MIND would ever allow any child to be alone with a KNOWN *** OFFENDER? Most sexually abused children are abused by relatives. Molestation is a crime of opportunity--and who has the greatest opportunities and access to kids than uncles, grandpa, dads, stepdads, cousins, aunts, grandma, etc.

Unfortunately Darwin went awry in this one--the stupid gene belongs to the parents who obviously placed their own child in harms way by thinking their "kin" would never hurt his own.

There is a good chance the uncle did this, and then covered his tracks by killing his neice.

[u-r-right]

Anybody notice the age of most pedophiles these days is early to mid forties? I wonder if there is a study being done or some Sociological reason for this?

[ici2i]

....and my vote: registered *** offenders should not be allowed to have access to the internet. If they can''t put them away for life, figuratively speaking, the chains around their neck should be so heavy that they can''t move w/o being noticed and controlled. In fact, how about a tatoo on their forehead; "I''m a perverted pig"