NEWPORT — A 22 year-old Springfield, Vt., man pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to multiple counts of sexual assault of a minor in Sullivan Superior Court in Newport.
On Jan. 28, Skyler Eley was indicted by a Sullivan County Grand Jury on three counts of felonious sexual assault, one count of using a computer for prohibited use and one count of possessing digital pornography depicting a juvenile.
In a waiver of arraignment approved just minutes before his scheduled hearing on Wednesday, Eley’s bail was set to mirror that included in the original order filed on Nov. 25, which saw him released on personal recognizance.
His conditions of release included appearing in court as ordered, refraining from use of alcohol and drugs, prohibiting internet access and not allowing him within 300 feet of the female victim, who was under 16 years of age at the time of the alleged assaults.
The probe by Newport police into Eley revealed a pattern of sexual abuse that crossed into Vermont, where he was then investigated by Springfield Police and subsequently charged with one count of sexual assault. He pleaded not guilty on Nov. 26 in Windsor County Superior Court and was released on conditions that he refrain from contact with the juvenile victim and avoid contact with females under 18 years old, with exception of supervised contact of female family members.
Newport police began investigating Eley after they said they received a report in November of a sexual assault of a female juvenile by an adult male, the affidavit in support of the New Hampshire charges said.
Eley, who was 21 at the time of the alleged crimes, pursued a relationship with the juvenile victim, a 15-year-old resident of Newport, after they met in September at a restaurant where they both worked, the affidavit states.
According to the affidavit, the juvenile was aware that he was 21 years old and she had informed him that she was 15.
A coworker interviewed by police told them the juvenile described “controlling and manipulative behavior” by Eley, according to an affidavit.
The alleged victim told police that they had dated for around six weeks and confirmed “sexual things” that occurred in Springfield and Newport, according to the affidavit.
Newport investigators seized the juvenile’s phone and contacted Springfield Police about Eley, according to the affidavit. On her phone, Newport police found an explicit image of the juvenile and concerning communications.
Upon obtaining warrants from New Hampshire Superior Court Judge Lawrence Macleod on Nov. 13, Newport police were able to take Eley into custody after he finished a shift at work. They took him to the Newport Police Department for questioning. There, Eley admitted to having sex with the juvenile in Springfield, according to the affidavit, and to taking nude photographs of her.
The affidavit stated that when they searched Eley’s phone, police found messages from Eley to the alleged victim “indicating him trying to isolate her from her family, and him ordering her not to tell anyone that they were in a relationship.”
On Nov. 19, the Child Advocacy Center of Sullivan and Grafton Counties conducted a forensic interview of the juvenile.
According to the affidavit, she stated that Eley pressured her to buy a cellphone so “he could monitor her location,” but she refused. “Eventually, he (bought) her one” and would “constantly” text and check on her.
Based on the investigation, Newport police found probable cause that Eley engaged in multiple felonious sexual assaults against a “person who is 13 years of age or older, and under the age of 16 where the age difference between the actor and the other person is four years or more” between October and November 2025.
Springfield Police began their investigation into Eley after being notified by Newport Police on Nov. 13, according to the affidavit filed by Springfield police.
Through interviews with both Eley and the juvenile, and evidence gathered at the Springfield residence where Eley had been staying, Springfield Police found probable cause that Eley had committed sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a minor.
On Nov. 25, he was charged with one felony count of sexual assault of a victim under 16 years old, which carries a penalty of not more than 20 years in prison and an additional fine of up to $10,000 upon conviction.
In the New Hampshire case, each of the three charges of felonious sexual assault carry a penalty of between three and a half to seven years in prison and a fine of up to $4,000; the charge of child porn carries a penalty of seven and a half to 15 years in prison plus a $4,000 fine; and the charge of using a computer for prohibited use carries a penalty of three and a half to seven years in prison with a $4,000 fine.
The Sullivan County Attorney’s Office and the Windsor County State Attorney’s Office are coordinating court proceedings between their respective jurisdictions.
Messages for both parties in both cases were not immediately returned on Wednesday.
As of Wednesday, no future court dates had been set.