Vermont Statutes Title 13 Sec. 3259
Terms Used In Vermont Statutes Title 13 Sec. 3259
- Law enforcement officer: means a person certified as a law enforcement officer under the provisions of 20 Vt. See
- Person: shall include any natural person, corporation, municipality, the State of Vermont or any department, agency, or subdivision of the State, and any partnership, unincorporated association, or other legal entity. See
- Sexual conduct: means any conduct or behavior relating to sexual activities of the complaining witness, including but not limited to prior experience of sexual acts, use of contraceptives, living arrangement, and mode of living. See
§ 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 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 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.)