Ministry Watch: Vermont Ministry Director Charged in Abuse Case
By Stacey Horton - Posted at MinistryWatch:
Published September 2, 2026
Child Evangelism Fellowship state director arrested after undercover sting operation.
Federal agents arrested Andrew Buzzell, state director of Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) of Vermont and an elder at Green Mountain Baptist Church in Center Rutland, on Aug. 7 following an FBI undercover sting operation targeting online child exploitation.Buzzell, 34, was charged in federal court with knowingly distributing child sexual abuse material. According to the criminal complaint, federal investigators tracked multiple online accounts distributing obscene media and communicating with an undercover agent posing as a parent offering a child for sexual abuse.
Buzzell maintained a dark online presence using handles such as “kinkyvt1231,” “woodman1241” and “Princesspantyboy.” Through these accounts on messaging platforms like Kik, he distributed explicit materials, including a video depicting the sexual abuse of a young child. Federal authorities traced the activity to his IP address, phone number and personal email after the platform reported the illicit media to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Investigators said Buzzell solicited pictures of a 9-year-old girl and expressed intent to engage in abuse. During questioning after his arrest, he admitted to sharing the materials and said he had been considering sexually abusing a 10-year-old child he knew through his church community.
Following his arrest, Green Mountain Baptist Church voted unanimously to remove Buzzell from leadership and church membership. In a statement, the church expressed a desire for “complete justice, as well as comfort and healing for all impacted individuals.”
