Truemors
UPDATE: 7/01/08 6:35 pm EST
40 year-old Ray Gagnon, stepfather to Brooke Bennett, is arrested today. Gagnon is charged with sexually assaulting a minor in 2007. The arrest is in connection with the aggravated sexual assault arrest of Michael Jacques, Brooke's uncle. Neither Jacques or Gagnon have been charged in Brooke's disappearance. Brooke, who was last seen on Wednesday, June 25th, remains missing.
Read full story, contributed by NowPublic member, politisite here: http://www.nowpublic.com/world/missing-12-y-o-stepfather-arrested-sex-charges-program-sex#comment-115188
UPDATE: 7/01/08 8:13 am EST
In a press conference held yesterday, State of Vermont, State Police Commander James W. Baker urges people to "remain cautious, but not fearful" as the investigation into the disappearance of Brooke Bennett continues and Michael Jacques, Brooke's uncle, remains "a person of interest".
The investigation into Brooke's disappearance has led to the discovery of an Internet sex ring that involves Jacques. Jacques, a registered sex offender in the State of Vermont, has prior convictions for sexual assault and kidnapping unrelated to Brooke.
The story and video of the press conference is reported by Peter Hirschfield, Vermont Press Bureau via Times Argus here: http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080701/NEWS01/807010374
UPDATE: 6/30/08 8:52 pm EST
Associated Press Writer, Dave Gram, reports that the investigation into Brooke's disappearance has shifted dramatically due to information developed late Saturday and early Sunday. Col. James Baker, Commander of the State Police of Vermont, has indicated that a computer forensics probe "eliminated the whole world out there and narrowed our focus." Michael Jacques, Brooke's uncle, now appears to be the focus of the investigation into Brooke's disappearance.
Col. Baker is also quoted as reconfirming his statement that "...this case is about social networking on the Internet,..." However, Col. Baker states that he used MySpace only as an example of the type of web-site Brooke was using before her disappearance.
Read the full story here: http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/articles/2008/06/30/search_for_missing_girl_turns_to_uncles_property/
UPDATE: 6/30/08 7:50 am EST
CNN reports that the investigation into the disappearance of Brooke Bennett has led to a charge against Brooke's uncle, Michael Jacques, for sexually assaulting a minor. The charge is not related to Brooke, who was dropped off by her uncle at a convenience store in Randolf on Wednesday, and is still missing.
Police believe that Brooke was communicating with someone on the social networking website MySpace and they continue to analyze correspondence believed to have encouraged Brooke to meet with a stranger.
Read the full story here: http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/06/30/vermont.missing.girl/
UPDATE: 6/28/08 7:24 pm EST
According to a WPTZ-TV report, more than 150 leads have been received since Wednesday in the case of the disappearance of Brooke Bennett, and James Bennett, Brooke's father, is pleading for her return.
A search of Sunset Lake by authorities was called off. A sneaker, believed to belong to Brooke, was discovered near there. Forensic investigators and Vermont State Police however continue to review evidence.
Vermont State Police also continue to request that anyone who may have information about Brooke's disappearance contact them at (802) 234-9933.
The full story can be read here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25431743/
Original Story Posted June 27 2008, below:
According to a FoxNews Report, 12 year old Brooke Bennett was last seen on Wednesday morning at a convenience store in Randolph, Vermont.
It is believed that Brooke was going to meet someone she met over the internet.
Police haven't identified any suspects in the child's disappearance, which prompted Vermont's first-ever Amber Alert.
Col. James Baker, director of Vermont State Police, said Friday that investigators aren't ruling out the possibility that Brooke may now be out of state.
Vermont state troopers told reporters that there had been sightings of Brooke and numerous phone tips had come in. They urged anyone who might have seen the girl to call state police.
Investigators from the Vermont State Police, FBI and other agencies were trying to track Brooke's movements after she was dropped off by her uncle and cousin.
The FBI, which had assigned two agents to the case Thursday, plans to send a five-person team made up of agents who specialize in child abduction cases, police said.
A major focus of the investigation was centered on her online activities.
"As we all know, warnings have gone out countless times, in this world that we live in today, there are folks that visit places, social networking spaces such as MySpace, whose intentions are not good. And they come from far away," said Baker.
Police want to hear from anyone who was in Randolph on Wednesday between 9:45 a.m. and 11 a.m., even if they don't think they saw anything, Baker said.
The girl was reported missing around 9 p.m. Wednesday after her uncle dropped her off at a convenience store about 12 hours earlier in Randolph, where she'd said she was going to meet a girlfriend to visit the friend's sick relative in the hospital.
But police believe that Brooke fibbed and may have been bound for a meeting with an unknown person whom she'd been communicating with on the social networking site MySpace.com.
Anyone with any information about Brooke's whereabouts is urged to call the State Police at (802) 234-9933.
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