MONTPELIER — The Vermont Attorney General’s Office has announced that Robert Lavallee, 31, of Bristol was arraigned on Monday on one felony count of luring a child. The charge was the result of an undercover criminal investigation initially conducted by the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office in Illinois and later referred to the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC) with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations.

Prosecutors allege that Lavallee communicated online via Facebook with a Henderson County Sheriff’s officer posing as a 13-year-old minor. The defendant engaged in sexually explicit conversations with the investigator.

Lavallee pleaded not guilty at the July 29 arraignment in Vermont Superior Court, Addison Criminal Division. Judge David Fenster ordered conditions of release that prohibit Lavallee’s contact with minors and restrict his access to the internet.

VT-ICAC investigates cases of child sexual exploitation occurring over the internet, including the production and online distribution of child sexual abuse materials. The task force also provides forensic examination services, technical assistance, law enforcement training, and public education and outreach.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) is the nation’s centralized reporting system for the online exploitation of children. Anyone can make reports of suspected online enticement of children for sexual acts, child sexual molestation, child sexual abuse material, child sex tourism, child sex trafficking, unsolicited obscene materials sent to a child, misleading domain names, and misleading words or digital images on the internet. To make a report, call the 24-hour call center at 1-800-843-5678 or visit report.cybertip.org.

Additionally, if you are recovering from child sexual exploitation, you do not have to navigate it alone. NCMEC can help with emotional and peer support, removing content from the internet, and locating mental health professionals. For more information, please visit www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/csam-resources or call the 24-hour call center at 1-800-843-5678.