The Maine Supreme Judicial Court will hear an appeal April 9 at 10:50 a.m., from Gregory Vrooman, the former state trooper who was convicted last year on four counts of Class C crime of unlawful sexual contact with a minor.
Vrooman, 46, of Nobleboro, was serving with State Police when he was arrested in late 2010.
Following a brief trial, on April 13, 2012 he was found guilty of four counts of felony unlawful sexual contact with a minor, four counts of misdemeanor unlawful sexual touching with a minor, and four counts of misdemeanor assault. He was acquitted of one count of tampering with a witness.
After Vrooman’s attorney stated his intention to appeal the verdict, Justice Jeffrey Hjelm said he was allowing bail in order to ensure access to the full appeals process. Following sentencing, Vrooman was released on $25,000 unsecured bail,
In January, 2013, Vrooman’s attorney Steven Peterson asked the Supreme Court, also know as the Law Court, to call for a new trial. Peterson’s brief claimed evidence of child pornography, found in Vrooman’s home, should not have been shared with the jury.
Peterson’s brief also said there were not enough signatures on an affidavit used to obtain the search warrant.
The brief stated that images of girls aged 16 to 14, dancing provocatively, did not have any relationship to the charges.
Vrooman was sentenced to five years in prison on four counts of Class C crime of unlawful sexual contact with a minor, with all but 21 months of his sentence suspended. The sentence also requires that he serve probation for four years, following incarceration.
In addition to the sentence for unlawful sexual contact with a minor, Vrooman was sentenced to 364 days for eight counts of the Class D crime of unlawful sexual touching. Those sentences are to be served concurrently.
Vrooman must also pay cash fines on four counts of assault and victims’ fees on all 12 criminal counts, and must register as a sex offender
Vrooman’s crimes took place during a time when he was engaged to his victim’s mother.
