Police investigating sexual abuse of a minor arrest 43-year-old Vermont man

A 43-year-old man has been arrested as part of a months-long investigation into the sexual abuse of a minor in Vermont.

Vermont State Police say Patrick Barrett was arrested on Friday for sexual assault and is being held without bail at the Northeast Regional Correctional Complex in St. Johnsbury until his arraignment.

State police and the Vermont Department of Children and Families first began their investigation on Oct. 5, 2023. into the reported sexual abuse of a juvenile in Barnet, Vt.

No other details have been released.

Barrett, of Barnet, is set to be arraigned on Monday in Caledonia Superior Court. It was not immediately clear if he had obtained an attorney.