Bolton Man Accused Of Child Porn Offenses While At Work In Vernon: Feds

VERNON, CT — A Bolton man is facing federal charges related to a child pornography investigation out of Vernon.

David X. Sullivan, United States attorney for the District of Connecticut, Michael J. Krol, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations for New England, and Vernon Police Chief Marc Petruzzi on Monday announced that Richard Burris, 22, of Bolton, has been charged by a federal criminal complaint with "child exploitation" offenses.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in September 2025, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children made a CyberTipline report to the Vernon Police Department involving a ":child exploitation video" that was shared via the Kik messenger application on the seventh of the month.

An IP address was used that was subscribed to a restaurant in Vernon, Sullivan said.

The report also relayed that the same IP address was connected to a CyberTip submitted by the X social media platform involving a "child exploitation video" shared using the platform on March 20, he said.

An investigation determined that Burris was the only employee of the restaurant who worked on both of those dates, according to case records.

On Dec. 12, investigators executed a state search warrant at Burris’s residence and seized his iPhone and other items and a preliminary analysis of the phone revealed numerous "child sex abuse" images and videos, including images and videos that Burris recorded of a "prepubescent minor victim," according to case records.

Investigators also accessed Burris’s Telegram account, which he used to share "child sex abuse" images and videos with another Telegram user, according to case records.

Burris was arrested on Dec. 19 buy Vernon police and federal agents. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and was ordered detained, records show.

The complaint charges Burris with:

• Production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum prison term of 15 years and a maximum term of 30 years
• Receipt and distribution of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum prison term of five years and a maximum term of 20 years
• Possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years

The investigation is being conducted by HSI and the Vernon Police Department, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police, the Connecticut Center for Digital Investigations, and the U.S. Marshals Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford.