A Pownal man, who was previously charged with the repeated sexual assault of a child in 2021, leading to the victim giving birth, now faces new charges of repeated sexual assault involving another child.
A man named Levi Varno, also known as Levi Haner, aged 29 and from Pownal, is facing four new charges. These charges include aggravated, repeated sexual assault of a child, repeated sexual assault of a child, and two counts of repeated sexual assault.
If Varno is found guilty, each of the four felony counts could result in a potential life sentence. This sentence cannot be postponed, delayed, or carried out under supervision.
Varno entered a plea of not guilty to all four counts during his arraignment last Wednesday. Judge Howard Kalfus has made a surprising decision to release Varno back into the residence he shares with his mother, Angel Varno. It was unexpected news considering that Levi Varno and his mother, who is responsible for supervising him during his release, are both dealing with serious charges related to a separate incident involving the sexual assault of a minor in 2021. In addition, on the same day that Varno was arraigned on the new charges, he also faced two misdemeanors for violating his conditions of release in connection with the first case.
Varno faces charges for the repeated sexual assault of a child from 2013 to 2016, as well as non-consensual, repeated sexual assault from 2011 to 2013.
An affidavit in a new case revealed that Manchester Police were recently informed by the victim’s father about a potential sexual assault that occurred years ago in Manchester. The father informed authorities that his child had sent him a distressing message regarding an alleged assault by Varno.
This led the victim to reach out to his father via text, discussing his own assault. The victim informed his father that Angel Varno had unexpectedly entered the room and witnessed Levi engaging in a sexual assault. Varno then left the room and closed the door. There is a possibility of additional charges being filed against Angel Varno, as per a source at the courthouse.
It is worth mentioning that the victim had a twin brother who unfortunately passed away in 2018 at the age of 11. Based on an interview conducted by the police, it was revealed that the sibling had also experienced repeated sexual abuse.
Additional inquiry and conversations with the victim uncovered that she first encountered Varno at the age of 13, when he would provide babysitting services for her and her brother. Eventually, Varno would take the victim to a secluded area in Pownal for sexual encounters on multiple occasions. She ended up getting pregnant and made a promise to Varno to keep it a secret.
Varno was taken into custody following a police interview where he reportedly admitted to being the father of the victim’s child as reported by Bennington Banner News.
Levi Varno is currently under certain conditions, which include not being allowed to have any contact with the victim, the baby, or anyone under 16. Furthermore, Levi Varno is required to adhere to a curfew at his residence around the clock while he awaits trial. If he is found guilty in the first case, he could potentially face a maximum sentence of 25 years.
Angel Varno has been designated by the court as Levi Varno’s responsible adult, entrusted with the task of ensuring that he adheres to his conditions and promptly reporting any curfew violations or breaches of his conditions.