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Bradford Teacher Sentenced to 25 Years for Producing Child Pornography

U.S. Attorney's Office March 18, 2009
  • District of Vermont (802) 951-6725

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Richard Foster, 53, of Bradford, Vermont, was sentenced on March 9, 2009, in United States District Court in Burlington, Vermont, to serve 300-months imprisonment and a ten (10) year term of supervised release following his guilty plea to two counts of production of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a). Chief United States District Judge William K. Sessions III also ordered Foster to pay $40,000 in restitution and a $200 special assessment. Foster had previously agreed to forfeit the proceeds of his residence at a foreclosure sale, and executed documents necessary to accomplish the foreclosure sale before the sentencing hearing.

According to court documents, on September 14, 2007, a citizen residing in Coral Springs, Florida, notified the Coral Springs Police Department that she had borrowed her son’s cellular telephone. While using the telephone, she noticed that he had received two unread photo text messages from “Rick.” The citizen viewed the photographs, and learned that they depicted the erect penis of an adult male. The citizen reported that she knew that Rick was her son’s sixth grade teacher, Richard Foster, from when they lived in Bradford, Vermont. They had moved from Bradford, Vermont to Florida approximately six weeks earlier. The citizen stated that her son had a close relationship with Foster and that her son had worked for Foster in his video production company. When the police interviewed the boy, he confirmed that Foster was his sixth grade teacher and that he had worked for Foster in his business. After some reluctance, the boy disclosed that he and Foster had engaged in a sexual relationship. The boy disclosed further that he had viewed images of children engaged in sexual activity with Foster on Foster’s computer. The boy stated that these events occurred in Foster’s home in Bradford, Vermont and that Foster had taken digital photographs of him and made visual recordings of some of their encounters. During execution of a search warrant at Foster’s residence, Vermont State Police officers found a massive amount of media and other digital evidence, as well as a CD which depicted Foster and the boy engaged in sexual activity in Foster’s bedroom at his home in Bradford, Vermont. A review of the media and digital evidence seized during execution of the search warrant revealed additional videos of the boy engaged in sexual activity. During subsequent investigation, law enforcement learned that a second child victim had been unknowingly photographed by Foster while masturbating in Foster’s home. Law enforcement also found an extensive collection of images of child pornography concealed in a box underneath a staircase in the basement of his home.

The prosecution of Foster was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara Masterson. Foster was represented by Bradley Stetler of Stetler, Allen & Kampmann.

Acting United States Attorney Van de Graaf commended the efforts of the Vermont State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in conducting the investigation and prosecution of Foster.

Acting U.S. Attorney Van de Graaf noted that this prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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