Former Vermont Sheriff Takes Plea Deal in Sexual Assault Case
Peter Newton, 52, the former Sheriff of Addison County, Vermont, pleaded guilty in state court on January 24, 2025, to lewd and lascivious conduct and simple assault. The plea was the result of a deal that Newton cut with prosecutors and represented a significant downgrade from his original charges of sexual assault, unlawful restraint and domestic assault—all stemming from a February 2022 incident at his home.
The unnamed victim told police that she had sought Newton’s help in April 2021 when she felt threatened by another man, from whom the Sheriff promised to protect her and her children. However, she said, he then became controlling, over-serving her alcohol and taking sexual advantage of her when she became too drunk to resist.
Middlebury Police Department (MPD) officers made no arrest when they responded to her call from the Sheriff’s home on February 26, 2022. “This was a dispute between two people over some personal things,” said MPD Chief Thomas Hanley. But he asked County State’s Attorney Dennis Wygmans to look over the case, citing concerns of appearing less than impartial because Newton had worked for MPD.
Wygmans handed off the case to Washington County State’s Attorney Rory Thibault while Vermont State Police (VSP) investigated. VSP Detective Sgt. Angela Baker later recorded that the survivor said: “He’s the sheriff. If he wanted to knock on my door and come in, he can. No one can stop him.”
“He’s above anyone, I’m afraid,” she continued, noting that “[h]e has access to these guns” and adding, “He’s a predator.”
“This is someone who abuses their power, their position,” the survivor declared. “It’s not just him, it’s the entire sheriff’s department because they knew he used his position to get women. They knew that.”
Thibault then charged Newton, who was arrested in April 2022. The Sheriff vowed to fight the charges and remain on the job, though he had already announced his decision not to seek re-election and stepped down when his term ended later that year.
State Assistant Attorney General Sophie Stratton, whose office handled the prosecution, signed off on the plea deal in early January 2025. Under its terms, Newton received a suspended sentence of six to 12 months with two years of probation for the simple assault charge. Two years of probation will be served concurrently for the lewd and lascivious conduct charge, but that sentence was deferred and will be expunged if the probation term is successfully completed.
Judge John Pacht also ordered Newton to undergo psychosexual evaluation and screening for alcohol or mental health counseling. Additionally, he must complete a six-month domestic violence counseling program, and he is barred from possessing any deadly weapons or working as a law enforcement officer.
Source: VT Digger
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