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Judge increases sentence for Barnard blacksmith who abused girl

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Gregory Clasby in court
Gregory Clasby of Barnard listens during his sentencing in Windsor Superior Court in White River Junction on Wednesday,. Clasby has pleaded guilty to felony lewd and lascivious conduct with a child. Photo by Jennifer Hauck/Valley News

This article by Anna Merriman was published by the Valley News on Nov. 20.

WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — A well-known Barnard blacksmith who spent months “grooming” and sexually assaulting a young girl he knew has been sentenced to more prison time than originally planned.

“The court appreciates that this is a significant sentence. That is because this was incredibly significant and serious conduct,” Windsor Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Mann said in court Wednesday.

She sentenced Gregory Clasby, 47, to seven to 15 years in prison Wednesday after rejecting part of the plea deal agreed on by Clasby’s lawyer and Windsor County Deputy State’s Attorney Heidi Remick. Clasby pleaded guilty to lewd and lascivious conduct with a child in April.

Taking into account the four years and nine months Clasby has already spent in jail following his 2015 arrest, he would have been released in July under the original agreement.

Now, his earliest release date is in 2022.

The seriousness of the crime, including the age of the victim, the trust she had in Clasby, and the lifelong impact the crime will have on her and her family were all reasons for issuing a higher sentence, Mann said in her decision.

“It does not appear that he yet appreciates the level of harm that has been caused to (the victim),” Mann said.

Clasby appeared in court Wednesday, staring silently ahead as Remick detailed the assault, which she said occurred over a period of months in 2014 and 2015 when the victim was under 10 years old.

Remick said Clasby made himself “indispensable” to the girl’s family and then “shattered the breach of trust” with the assault.

When he was arrested in 2015, Clasby said the interactions were “mutual” and later told investigators that he believed he was “the most qualified to help (the victim) get through this,” Remick said in court.

The victim’s mother, who spoke in court Wednesday, called Clasby a “sick individual” and said her daughter would have to deal with the effects of the assault for the rest of her life.

Clasby addressed the court prior to the judge’s decision, apologizing for a “series of decisions that (he) should not have made.”

Clasby said he didn’t live up to his duty to protect the girl and look out for her.

“I had one job and I blew it,” he read from a statement.

But Clasby said he’s changed and is making the most of his time in prison, taking poetry classes and being supportive of other inmates who are having difficulty fitting in. He also said he is planning on looking to the future, hoping to move in with his parents in New York when he’s released.

On the last line of his prepared statement, Clasby started crying, telling the court through a broken voice, “I never intended for any of this.”

His attorney, Chris Montgomery, also mentioned Clasby’s good behavior in prison, and referenced a letter written by an employee at Southern State Correctional Facility, where Clasby is being held, in which the employee called him a model inmate. Montgomery said Clasby “crossed a line” but said he’s willing to participate in a treatment program to ensure it never happens again.

In response to Remick’s remark that Clasby believed he could help the victim overcome the assault, Montgomery said Clasby, like everyone, feels a need to do good.

“He feels a duty to others. … He always means well,” Montgomery said

Clasby hung his head and exited the court in silence after Mann read out the sentence Wednesday.

For the victim’s mother, who spoke in an interview after the appearance, the judge’s decision was a relief.

(The Valley News as a general practice does not name victims of sexual assault and is quoting the mother anonymously to avoid identifying the victim.)

“I’m really pleased. It’s better than I expected,” she said.

She added that she’s not surprised prison employees say Clasby is a model inmate.

“He knows how to behave. He’s manipulative. … He can play by the rules and make people like him,” she said.

The victim’s mother said that she is wildly protective of her daughter, who she said is still struggling but is tough. She called her daughter “strong, resilient, and happy,” saying that she has a great spirit.

Still, the pain of the assault, and of what her daughter lost, is still very raw.

“When she was molested she still believed in Santa Claus, and the tooth fairy, and Greg,” the mother said. “She looked up to him.”

Following his release Clasby will be on probation, which can be transferred over to New York state if he decides to move in with his parents. He’s ordered to have no contact with the victim, not be around any children, and not be on the internet without supervision.

Clasby was well-known in Barnard for his work on motorcycles and was featured on the TV show “American Chopper“.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Judge increases sentence for Barnard blacksmith who abused girl.


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