Michael Jacques, Uncle of Missing Brooke Bennett Arrested for Sexually Assaulting a Minor

COINCIDENCE?

The case of missing 12 year old Brooke Bennett just got a little for strange, bizarre and complicated. 42 year old Michael Jacques, the uncle of Brooke Bennett, who left her off at a convenience store in Randolph, VT has been arrested in a separate case of sexual assault against a minor. Police are claiming that the sexual assault charge does not involve his niece, Brooke Bennett.

Investigators in Vermont charged the uncle of a missing 12-year-old girl Sunday with sexually assaulting a minor — but they said the charge does not involve his niece.

Police said their investigation into the disappearance of 12-year-old Brooke Bennett uncovered evidence that her uncle had sexually assaulted someone else. They charged Michael Jacques, 42, with aggravated sexual assault against a minor, which carries a sentence of 10 years to life in prison. (CNN)

However, there have been so many missing person cases where a “presumed” suspect in the crime is initially arrested for an unrelated crime. According to all accounts, Brooke’s uncle did drop her off in the town of Randolph.  The fact that Brooke Bennett’s uncle is arrested for sexually assaulting a different minor as the case of missing Brooke Bennett is being investigated is certainly eye opening. Could it be more than a mere coincidence?

Michael Stephen Jacques

According to the AP, Michael Jacques is listed on Vermont sex offender registry. He was convicted of sexual assault and kidnapping in 1993. Maybe Vermont may want to change the law that sex offenders are supervised for life!

Sexual Offense Conviction(s) Date of Conviction
AGGRAVATED SEXUAL ASSAULT 07-12-1993
KIDNAPPING 07-12-1993

Conviction For Aggravated Sexual Assault: No longer supervised for sexual crime

Uncle of missing girl arrested on unrelated sex charge

They say Michael Jacques of Randolph, Vermont, was one of the last people to see Brooke Bennett before she vanished. He dropped the girl off at a convenience store Wednesday. They were seen together on a surveillance video before parting ways.

Jacques has been charged with aggravated sexual assault against a minor and will appear in court Monday. The alleged victim wasn’t Bennett.

• Uncle of missing VT girl arrested on unrelated charges (VIDEO)
• Man Questioned In Disappearance Of Vermont Girl

UPDATE I: Search for Missing Brooke Bennett Turns to Uncle’s (Michael Jacques) Property

The investigation of the disappearance of a 12-year-old girl zeroed in on her uncle Monday, with police searching his home while he was being arraigned on sex charges in an unrelated case, authorities said.

Michael Jacques, a registered sex offender who was one of the last people seen with Brooke Bennett before she vanished, pleaded not guilty to a charge of aggravated sexual assault and was held in lieu of $250,000 bail.

Col. James Baker, the head of the Vermont State Police, called Jacques a “person of interest” in Brooke’s case at a Monday press briefing.

The other girl, a relative of Jacques’, says he assaulted her over a five-year period, beginning when she was 9 years old and ending a few weeks ago, Orange County State’s Attorney Will Porter said.