Go to Previous Versions of this Section
  1. 2025 Vermont Stat. (here)
  2. 2024 Vermont Stat.
  3. 2023 Vermont Stat.
  4. View All Versions

2025 Vermont Statutes
Title 13 - Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Chapter 72 - Sexual Assault
§ 3259. Sexual exploitation of a person who is being investigated, detained, arrested, or is in the custody of a law enforcement officer

Universal Citation:
13 VT Stats § 3259
Learn more This media-neutral citation is based on the American Association of Law Libraries Universal Citation Guide and is not necessarily the official citation.
Previous Next

§ 3259. Sexual exploitation of a person who is being investigated, detained, arrested, or is in the custody of a law enforcement officer

(a) No law enforcement officer shall engage in a sexual act as defined in section 3251 of this title or sexual conduct as defined in section 2821 of this title with a person whom the officer is detaining, arresting, or otherwise holding in custody or who the officer knows is being detained, arrested, or otherwise held in custody by another law enforcement officer. For purposes of this section, “detaining” and “detained” include a traffic stop or questioning pursuant to an investigation of a crime.

(b)(1) No law enforcement officer shall engage in a sexual act as defined in section 3251 of this title or sexual conduct as defined in section 2821 of this title with a person whom the officer:

(A) is investigating pursuant to an open investigation;

(B) knows is being investigated by another law enforcement officer pursuant to an open investigation; or

(C) knows is a victim or confidential informant in any open investigation.

(2) This subsection shall not apply if the law enforcement officer was engaged in a consensual sexual relationship with the person prior to the officer’s knowledge that the person was a suspect, victim, or confidential informant in an open investigation.

(c) A person who violates subsection (a) or (b) of this section shall be imprisoned for not more than five years or fined not more than $10,000.00, or both. (Added 2019, No. 8, § 2, eff. April 23, 2019; amended 2023, No. 46, § 29, eff. June 5, 2023; 2023, No. 102 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. May 7, 2024.)

Previous Next
Disclaimer: These codes may not be the most recent version. Vermont may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.