NEWPORT, Vt. — A former Vermont state trooper has been sentenced to 30 days in jail after pleading guilty to sexually exploiting his stepdaughter and committing prohibited acts against her will.

Fifty-four-year-old Mark Beezup of Derby was sentenced Friday in Orleans Superior Court. He will serve his sentence on weekends, beginning Saturday.

The former trooper was accused of molesting his stepdaughter and taking photos of her bare chest. He resigned from the Vermont State Police force last year.

The Caledonian Record reported that Beezup will serve 60 days of home confinement after his jail sentence is up.

The girl was 12 when the illegal acts started.

She told investigators the abuse went on for two years, often occurring when she would help Beezup clean his uniform. “He’ll go into the room while I’m still polishing the brass (on the uniform) and he’ll throw me onto the bed and he’ll lift my shirt,” according to WCAX TV.

Beezup was orginally charged with sexual assault, a felony that could have carried a life sentence.

But the Vermont Asst. Attorney General said it best to avoid a trial for the victim’s sake, and the girl— who’s now 15 — was satisfied with the outcome.

“When you have the case resting on the testimony of one, there’s always risks. And this was a resolution where we could avoid those risks and still meet all of the state’s objectives and get some vindication for the victim,” Maguire said.

Beezup will never be allowed to serve as a police officer again, according to the Caledonian Record.

 

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