A 28-year-old man wanted on a Vermont charge of lewd and lascivious conduct with a child was taken into custody by U.S. Border Patrol at the New York-Canada border at approximately 6 p.m. on Friday, while a weeks-long investigation that began with a child's disclosure at a popular Dorset swimming spot remained active.
Vermont State Police identified the man as Ryan Ouimet, describing him as a 28-year-old from Averill Park, New York, according to Newport Dispatch. Separate reporting from Daily Voice identifies a Ryan Ouimet, also 28, as being from Sand Lake, New York — the two accounts differ on his hometown, and the dossier does not resolve which is accurate.
Vermont State Police say the investigation traces back to August 9, when a 12-year-old disclosed that they had been inappropriately touched by Ouimet at Dorset Quarry, a well-known spot for swimming and cliff jumping. Detectives with the agency say they developed probable cause to charge him with lewd and lascivious conduct with a child following that disclosure, per the Newport Dispatch report.
A Warrant, Then a Border Stop
According to Newport Dispatch, an arrest warrant for Ouimet was requested on September 18 and issued as a hold without bail, with extradition granted to New England states as well as New York. He was taken into custody as a fugitive from justice a week later at the New York-Canada border, the outlet reports, and Vermont State Police say he will be turned over to New York State Police while their own investigation remains active and ongoing.
In a separate New York investigation, authorities are investigating Ouimet over an alleged sexual assault of a 10-year-old victim; Vermont's disclosure involved a 12-year-old.
New York Charges Filed in August
New York State Police say Ouimet was arrested on August 20 and charged with first-degree sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child, according to a statement carried by CBS6 Albany. The Daily Voice report adds that he was booked that day, released the following day, then rearrested on August 27 on allegations of providing alcohol to minors in Lake George in July.
Vermont State Police say their investigation remains active, and it is unclear when Ouimet is expected to appear in Vermont on the lewd and lascivious conduct charge given his pending transfer to New York State Police custody. No response from Ouimet or a defense attorney has been made public.
