BURLINGTON — Two Addison County residents were among the eight men arrested in mid-May for possession and/or promotion of child pornography, according to a Wednesday press release issued jointly by Attorney General T. J. Donovan and U.S. Attorney Christina E. Nolan.
Among those arrested after a joint statewide investigation called Operation Bada Bing were Mark Hulett, 48, of Ferrisburgh and Uriah Shows, 29, of Middlebury.
The arrests were made as a result of a task force that was conducted jointly by Vermont’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations. Operation Bada Bing involved executing search warrants on several homes during the week of May 13 based on CyberTips that were received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
These CyberTips are typically generated by Internet Service Providers or social media platforms whenever they detect suspected child sexual exploitation material on their networks. These CyberTips are in turn sent to local ICAC task forces throughout the country.
Also arrested were Frank Farley, 37, of Rutland; Russell Biathrow, 61, of Killington; Bernard Tinker, 58, of Colchester; Richard Weston, 25, of Huntington; Louis Hamlin Jr., 74, of Huntington; and Sean Fiore, 35, of Burlington.
They now face either federal or state charges for possession or promotion of child pornography, but Donovan noted that they are presumed innocent of the charges until their guilt is proven beyond a reasonable doubt through the court process.
Nolan praised the work of the agencies involved in protecting the young.
 “Children are our future, and we will fight tirelessly for their safety. The announcement of a series of charges in a joint federal and state sweep reflects our commitment, as a Vermont law enforcement team, to bring serious charges and consequences to those who would harm and exploit children,” Nolan said.
Operation Bada Bing was a collaborative effort that also involved the Vermont State Police, Burlington and South Burlington police departments, Chittenden Unit for Special Investigations, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, and University of Vermont Police Services.