Ex-stepfather of slain girl sentenced in porn case

SAN ANTONIO — The former stepfather of a slain 12-year-old Vermont girl was sentenced Friday to nearly 17 years in prison on child pornography charges that surfaced while authorities investigated her disappearance last summer.

Raymond Gagnon, 41, expressed regret, while his attorney asked a federal judge to consider how Gagnon had sought to help Vermont authorities in the death of Brooke Bennett, who police say was molested and strangled by her uncle last summer.

Michael Jacques, a convicted sex offender, is accused of luring his niece to his home with the promise of a pool party. He has pleaded not guilty to a variety of charges, including kidnapping with death resulting. Authorities say she had been drugged and raped.

Prosecutors called Gagnon a liar in court Friday and said he has not helped in the Bennett case despite being given numerous chances. Gagnon pleaded guilty to transportation of child pornography.

“What I did was wrong,” Gagnon told the court. “For my own sake and the sake of Brooke Bennett’s family, I need to accept that responsibility.”

The FBI searched Gagnon’s home after Bennett disappeared in Vermont last summer. Gagnon had married the girl’s mother, Cassandra, in 2000 and they separated four years later.

Gagnon was initially charged with obstruction of justice in Brooke’s disappearance and death, but federal authorities later dropped the count. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Braun said Gagnon has been unhelpful.

“By lying to us, he has all but guaranteed he won’t be called as a witness in any other case,” Braun said.

In the plea agreement, Gagnon admitted to having hundreds of images and video files of prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including sexual acts with adults. Gagnon collected many of the images when he was living in Alabama, before moving to Texas, according to the document. He faces additional charges of possession of child pornography in Alabama.

Gagnon was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez to 16 years and eight months in prison. He asked to serve his sentence in Massachusetts.