A former employee with the Vermont Department of Children & Families is charged with sexually assaulting a minor in her care.
According to WPTZ, 31-year-old Sonja Herman, of Swanton, was charged with sexual assault in July after the Chittenden Unit for Special Investigations received a report from DCF that she had engaged in a sexual relationship with an underage person in the agency's custody.
The Chittenden Unit for Special Investigations said they were notified by DCF in October of 2023 that Herman had sexually abused a juvenile for several years while working with him in her role as a family services worker for the agency. Herman was a licensed foster parent with two foster children at the time they learned of the abuse.
Herman was cited with a sexual abuse charge on July 31 and was arraigned Thursday. She was released on conditions prohibiting her from supervising or providing care for children under the age of 18.
If convicted, she faces a minimum sentence of three years in prison up to life in prison, along with fines up to $25,000.
