A former state Department for Children and Families employee has been charged with sexually assaulting a youth she was working with when she was employed by the department several years ago.
Sonja Herman, 31, of Swanton, pleaded not guilty Thursday in Chittenden County Superior criminal court in Burlington to the felony sexual assault charge. She was released by Judge David Fenster on conditions, including that she not supervise or provide care for children under the age of 18.
If convicted of the offense, Herman faces up to life in prison.
The charge against Herman stemmed from an investigation that began in October, according to a press release Thursday from the Chittenden Unit for Special Investigations.
The release stated that the special investigations unit started its probe when it was referred a case from DCF about alleged sexual abuse by Herman of a youth that began when he was in state custody.
“The investigation subsequently developed probable cause to believe that Herman engaged in a sexual relationship with a youth in which she was working with, through her duties as a Family Services Worker with DCF,” the release stated.
This sexual relationship spanned over several years, during which time DCF had legal custody of the youth,” according to the release. “It is further alleged that Herman supplied the youth with alcohol, and they would also use marijuana together.”
Herman was issued a citation on the sexual assault charge on July 31 through her attorney, calling on her to appear in court Thursday for an arraignment on the charge.
According to charging documents, Herman “was not directly” supervising the youth she was charged with assaulting when he was in DCF custody between 2016 and 2017, but she was involved in his care plan and available as an emergency care social worker when his social worker wasn’t available.
The youth, now 23, reported to police in November when interviewed that “Herman took advantage of him when he was vulnerable” and that “part of his innocence was taken.”
He told police that he and Herman would “hang out, she’d pick him up, they’d go have sex at her house or random places, they’d go out to dinner ‘far from town so nobody would see us,’” the charging documents stated.
Authorities also questioned in November a woman who served as the mother to the youth between 2016 and 2017 and she told them she remembered reporting to “someone at DCF” about “boundary stuff” regarding Herman.
“(The foster mother) remembered that she had more than one conversation regarding Herman that she ‘means well, but someone needs to tell her to back off a little bit,’” the charging documents stated. “(The foster mother) believes Herman was talked to, but she isn’t sure what happened from her report or conversations.”
Herman was a licensed foster parent to two children at the time the special investigations unit received the initial report alleging sexual abuse, according to the press release.
Rory Malone, an attorney representing Herman, said Thursday afternoon that his client “categorically denies” the allegations against her.
“Ms. Herman absolutely is innocent of these terrible charges,” he said, adding, “They’re based on the statement of a single person.”
DCF Commissioner Chris Winters said in an emailed statement late Thursday afternoon that he could not comment on the “specifics surrounding” the case.
However, he added, “I want to make it clear that the allegations do not reflect the standards and values of our Department and the dedicated employees who serve children in Vermont.”
Winters referred questions about Herman’s DCF employment status — specifically, when she stopped working there and why — to the state Department of Human Resources.