White River Junction
Joshua Robbins, who lives in Kentucky, appeared in Windsor Superior Court on Tuesday and entered the plea to a single felony count of sexual assault on an individual under the age of 16.
Judge Theresa DiMauro ordered Robbins held on $10,000 bail at Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield, Vt.; he has since posted bail.
At his arraignment, DiMauro ordered Robbins to not have contact with the girl or individuals under the age of 18, among many other conditions. There is no restriction on where he can live pending trial, according to court documents.
Police say Robbins sexually assaulted the girl at a home off Route 14 in Bethel on Sept. 3.
According to a Vermont State Police affidavit written by Detective Sgt. Michael Dion, police received a report from the New Hampshire Division of Children, Youth and Families on Sept. 26 about the alleged incident.
In an interview with police, the girl said people at the party were playing a drinking game and that she became intoxicated. The next thing she remembered was waking up with a bruise on her abdomen and recollections of having sex with Robbins, something she said she didn’t remember consenting to, the affidavit states.
The girl told police she and two of her aunts, as well as another woman, were invited to the party by one of the homeowner’s friends. The home was owned by a man who served in the National Guard with Robbins, the affidavit states.
Robbins told police he was at the home that day because he was helping a friend move. Robbins denied having sex with the girl, the affidavit states.
Police interviewed one of the aunts, who said the girl told her she had sex with Robbins and that she “seemed happy and excited about it,” and even talked about having sex with Robbins again the next morning, according to the affidavit. The aunt said the girl told her they discussed their age differences, the affidavit states.
Over the course of the investigation, police also interviewed the girl’s mother, who said she received a phone call from Robbins after the incident and he was “apologetic” about having sex with the girl.
Robbins, however, told police he never called the girl’s mother. Rather, he said, the girl’s mother called him and accused him of having sex with her daughter, the affidavit states.
Police also interviewed the homeowner, who denied that anyone played a drinking game that night and said he thought the girl was 18 or 19 years old. He told police he “had a feeling” Robbins “hooked up” with the girl that night, the affidavit states.
It wasn’t immediately clear where Robbins is residing since his release from jail.
He will next appear in the White River Junction courthouse on Jan. 10.
Jordan Cuddemi can be reached at jcuddemi@vnews.com or 603-727-3248.