A Plainfield man pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to a series of charges related to his alleged online recruitment of a 15-year-old girl who he repeatedly had sex with and prepared to sell into prostitution when she was 16.
Douglas Hersey, 43, a bus driver and EMT worker in East Montpelier, was charged with aggravated human trafficking with a child under 18, sexual assault with a child under 16, lewd or lascivious conduct with a child and sexual exploitation of a child through electronic communication.
An affidavit describing the investigation conducted by Vermont State Police Detective James Vooris says that Hersey met the girl online using the alias “Dom,” and was aware of her age before it became a sexual relationship, and then months later offered to help her prostitute herself.
“Hersey recruited and enticed Juvenile, who was 16 at the time, to engage in a commercial sex act,” the affidavit says, adding “he was willing to help her begin her escort career by locating clients and being present for protection.”
The affidavit says that Hersey and the girl exchanged more than 2,700 messages using the texting smartphone app Kik. It says they met on Craigslist and first communicated via email. The girl sent an introductory email on July 16, 2017.
She wrote that she was “almost 16” and interested in hardcore sex acts that she first read about in the book “Fifty Shades of Gray.”
“I know that my age is probably a deal breaker which is upsetting but I understand that,” she wrote, after describing what sort of sexual acts she was interested in. “I would love to hear back from you.”
“I know you listed some things you like but how much have you actually experienced,” he responded. “I ask because you are young. I’m not sure your age bothers me or not. Will be able to tell after we talk a bit and I know more about you.”
The teenager disclosed to police that she started having sex with Hersey, who she continued to call Dom, the week they met in person in late August 2017, when she was 15, according to interviews described in the documents.
Police first interviewed Hersey on June 5 at the East Montpelier Fire Department, his workplace, court papers show. He initially denied any type of sexual relationship with the girl, but said he met her after she responded to a Craigslist ad.
Later searches of both the girl’s and Hersey’s cellphones led investigators to determine that Hersey had been requesting and receiving sexually explicit images. While they recovered only five images, the actual number of explicit images and videos were “believed to be exponentially higher,” the affidavit says.
During later questioning by police, Hersey allegedly admitted that he had sex several times with the girl in the summer of 2017. He disclosed having sex on a school bus chartered for a wedding in Barre, according to court papers.
Hersey told police that he had offered to help the girl with her goal of becoming a prostitute because he was worried about her safety if she went out on her own, according to the affidavit.
“I probably said something like I’ll screen everybody and be there for your protection. Something like that […] did I go out and try to do that? No,” Hersey allegedly told police.
Upon finding a phone the girl previously owned, police uncovered a conversation in which Hersey allegedly encouraged her to send photos that he could use to find clients.
“Soon I want you to do your make up and get all dressed up and take pics of yourself so I can start this process of getting some clients lined up,” he wrote, according to the affidavit.
Hersey told the police officers that he believed the girl was a few months older than she actually was, but they later found messages apparently showing that he was aware of her actual age and birthday.
Vooris also found separate conversations of a sexual nature between Hersey and another 15-year-old girl, the affidavit says.
“This investigation has revealed that Hersey has advised multiple women he would assist them in finding ‘Clients’ and I observed that Hersey even contacted Craigslist users advising he has girls and let him know what they are looking for,” it says.
Washington County State’s Attorney Rory Thibault said the current case was only focused on crimes involving the juvenile described in the affidavit, but that investigations into Hersey were ongoing.
Thibault praised Vermont State Police for the speed of the investigation. He said while there is general awareness around the problem of sex trafficking, cases often go unreported due to victims being concerned about their safety.
“Anytime that we have a vulnerable population, any kind of sexual exploitation for financial gain is abhorrent and needs to be dealt with through all available resources,” Thibault said.
Thibault said U.S. Attorney for Vermont Christina Nolan has emphasized the need to expedite cases and take other measures to crack down on the problem of sex trafficking.
“My hope is as we see prosecutions in cases like this it will help build confidence in vulnerable populations in Vermont, to help them come forward and work with law enforcement to find justice,” he said.
Thibault said Washington County residents experiencing human trafficking or sexual violence should reach out the Barre-based Sexual Assault Crisis Team, which offers a 24-hour hotline at (802) 479-5577.
People with more information on the Hersey case are encouraged to contact the Middlesex barracks of the Vermont State Police at (802) 229-9191.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Bus driver charged with human trafficking, sexual assault of a minor.