CONCORD – A Groveton man was arrested on a complaint charging a federal child exploitation offense, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Brandon Couture, 38, was charged with one count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Couture was arrested on June 13, 2024, and will appear in federal court in Concord later today.

According to the charging documents, Couture traveled from New Hampshire to Vermont where he picked up the minor female survivor and drove her back to New Hampshire with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity with her.

The charging statute provides a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, with a maximum sentence of life in prison.  In addition, the charging statute provides for a minimum of five years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 and restitution. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The Northumberland Police Department and the Essex County, Vermont Sheriff’s Department provided valuable assistance.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Ward is prosecuting the case. 

            The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.