Vt. Sheriff Allegedly Stalked Sex Workers After They Stopped Seeing Him. Now Governor Wants Him to Resign By Christina Coulter

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott is calling on Windsor County Sheriff Ryan Palmer to resign.

This comes as the elected lawman faces multiple criminal charges tied to allegations he paid women to watch sex acts, then stalked them after they cut off contact with him.

According to Vermont Public, Valley News and Seven Days, Palmer, 39, was arrested on Jan. 27 and pleaded not guilty the following day to felony counts of lewd and lascivious conduct, aggravated stalking with a deadly weapon and obstruction of justice — along with misdemeanor soliciting prostitution charges.

He was released on conditions that he surrender any firearms and avoid contact with the alleged victims, per the outlets.

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The outlets reported that at least three women told investigators Palmer paid them to watch him masturbate, both in person and over video calls, and in one case paid for sex.

Court records cited by the outlets allege Palmer sent unsolicited cash payments and initiated explicit messages after first encountering the women through professional or community settings.

Two women alleged that after they stopped responding to Palmer, he began driving by their homes or showing up at their workplaces in his sheriff’s cruiser, according to the outlets. In one encounter, a woman told investigators Palmer confronted her in a parking lot while on duty — a detail prosecutors said elevated the allegations to aggravated stalking.

The outlets also reported that another woman told investigators Palmer urged her to leave his name out after she contacted an attorney, while a witness said he sent her money because she knew about his behavior.

“This is precisely why abuse of a public position of trust is so insidious,” Bennington County Deputy State’s Attorney Jared Bianchi said in court.

The investigation began last summer after Vermont State Police received anonymous tips about possible financial mismanagement at the Windsor County Sheriff’s Office, according to a police press release. During that probe, investigators said they received information about alleged sexual misconduct and identified multiple victims who provided statements and evidence.

After Palmer’s arrest, per the outlets, the Vermont Criminal Justice Council unanimously suspended his law enforcement certification, barring him from patrols or criminal investigations while the case is pending.

Shortly afterward, Gov. Scott called on Palmer to step down.

“From what I’ve seen and read, he’s lost the trust of folks in Windsor County, and he should step down,” the governor said, per the outlets.

Palmer has denied wrongdoing, calling the allegations part of his “personal life,” WCAX reported. His attorney, Dan Sedon, said the claims involve private conduct between consenting adults, per the outlet.

According to the outlet, Palmer, who was elected in 2022, said he’s taking a step back from day-to-day operations but isn’t stepping down.

“I categorically deny that any of these charges are what they are in the affidavit,” he said, per WCAX. “With that aside, this is my personal life … and I just ask people out there not to have that reflect their views of the Windsor County Sheriff’s Department.”

Deputy Captain Claude Weyant will take over daily operations in Palmer’s place as the case plays out in court.

Sheriffs in Vermont can only be removed through impeachment — a rarely used legislative process.