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July 7, 2008

New Cullman connection in Vermont girl's murder

The former Cullman resident being held in connection on charges related to the alleged kidnapping and murder of his former stepdaughter, Brooke Bennett, found dead Wednesday has been charged in a federal court with possession of child pornography.

Raymond Alfred Gagnon, 40, who was arrested in Vermont June 30, on federal child molestation charges, allegedly possessed illegal pornographic images on computer media kept at his former home in Cullman in late June, according to the office of United States Attorney Alice H. Martin, which made the matter public Monday.

Gagnon, who also faces obstruction-of-justice charges related to the case, resided at 1628 Katherine St. NW according to the Cullman City Directory, which listed Gagnon in the annual publications from 1998 to 2007.

According to the criminal complaint in United States of America v. Raymond Alfred Gagnon, after learning of the disappearance of his former stepdaughter, Gagnon flew from San Antonio to Burlington, Vt. “by way of Cullman.”

The document states, “Gagnon admitted that while in Cullman, Alabama, Gagnon went to the Cullman Public Library to attempt to access B.B.’s (Brooke’s) MySpace account and Amber Alert Information.”

Also it states Gagnon admitted to having sexually explicit contact with another minor and “downloaded a vast amount of child pornography from the Internet.”

The document also reveals that a former co-worker of Gagnon, Bill Barksdale, contacted authorities after seeing a TV report on Gagnon’s charges to inform them Gagnon owned a home in Cullman.

An unnamed relative of Barksdale, who lives near the residence, said they recently observed Gagnon entering the residence with computers, the document states.

Dan Plank, the human resources manager for REHAU, where Gagnon is believed to have worked while a resident of Cullman, declined to comment on Gagnon’s possible employment at the plant. He said the company has a policy that prevents the release of such information without the written consent of the employee in question.

Brooke disappeared on June 25 after being seen at a convenience store with her uncle, Michael Jacques, 42, who federal prosecutors have filed kidnapping charges against.

The Associated Press reported Thursday the body was found in a shallow grave near Jacques’ home.

The crime of aggravated sexual assault, which Gagnon is charged, carries a sentence of ten years to life in prison and a fine of $50,000. The details that lead to Gagnon’s arrest were uncovered by officials assigned to investigate the disappearance of Brooke.

According to a Vermont State Police press release, Gagnon’s arrest is not the result of Gagnon sexually assaulting Brooke, but the alleged sexual assault of another minor in the Royalton, Vt. area during the summer of 2007.

Gagnon is being held at the Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield, Vt.

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