Anthony Bagalio. Photo supplied by Vermont State Police.
BARRE — Judge Kevin Griffin ordered an arrest warrant with $25,000 cash bail Dec. 28 for Anthony Bagalio, 57, who failed to appear at his arraignment on a charge of aggravated sexual assault with a child. This citation was in addition to multiple alleged rape charges Bagalio faced just a couple of weeks earlier. If convicted, Bagalio faces life in jail. Two alleged victims were young children at the time of the offenses. The arraignment occurred at Barre Superior Court, Criminal Division, but proceedings were held via WebEx.
According to a police press release, Bagalio, of Plainfield, was charged with two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child, sexual assault, lewd and lascivious conduct with a child, sexual exploitation of a minor, and cruelty to a child. Police identified three victims, all unnamed per Vermont State Police practice of not releasing names of victims of sexual assault or domestic violence. The child victims include a 3-year-old of Barre and a (now) 24-year-old of Cabot who had allegedly been assaulted by Bagalio from 2003 to 2010, beginning when she was 6-years-old. The third victim, now 37, lives in Barre.
Police allege the sex offenses occurred in windows of time from 1996 to 1998, 2003 to 2010, and in 2021, according to a document. Investigations started on Oct. 30, 2021 from employees with the Washington County Unit for Special Investigations and the Vermont Department for Children and Families. This led to the arrest on Dec. 14 of Bagalio in Plainfield.
An affidavit states some of the incidents occurred while Bagalio was babysitting, and it further states he allegedly knew the children. Some of the reported incidents were allegedly by digital penetration. But at least one victim alleges multiple incidents of penile penetration and other lewd acts she was forced to partcipate in or witness beginning at age 6 or 7 and ending when she began menstruating, records state.
Bagalio was arraigned on initial charges Dec. 15, and pleaded not guilty. As a result of continuing investigation, police learned of additional reported victims, including one instance in which the statute of limitations had yet to expire. This case accuses Bagalio of sexually assaulting a girl who was known to him over approximately two years beginning in 1996 when she was about 12 years old. On Monday, Dec. 27, Bagalio was issued a citation ordering him to appear at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 28, in the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in Barre to answer a charge of aggravated sexual assault of a child, but he did not appear by 1:45 p.m.. At that point, Judge Griffin ordered an arrest warrant for failure to appear.
Deputy State’s Attorney Bridget Grace asked Griffin to up the bail from $25,000 to $225,000. “He does have four charges with the potential of life sentences,” Grace said. “They are serious.”
Griffin said he agreed the charges are serious, but a $25,000.00 cash assurity should be “sufficient to secure Mr. Bagalio.”
Bagalio was represented by attorney Mark Ferland, who told the court he had incessantly been trying to get through to Bagalio, but to no avail.
A motion to hold Bagalio without bail states that he has engaged in this kind of conduct for decades. “The State believes no combinations of conditions of release will protect public safety” from Bagalio. The motion, signed by Grace, asks for an evidentiary hearing within seven days.
The arrest warrant will be signed by the end of the day according to a court employee.
