strange stray unicode character on the second line of all files

For some odd reason (bug?) a stray unprintable unicode character appears several spaces over on the second line of every file I edit (even when the second line is nothing more then a new line):

// src/java/specmed/devinv/DevInvUtil.java
  � <-- The stray unicode character

Here is the output for cat -e of the first two lines of the same file:

// src/java/specmed/devinv/DevInvUtil.java$
$

Platform info:

OS: FreeBSD 11.2

Terminal type: ssh (xterm-256color) via xfce4-term 0.8.7.4 on xfce4 desktop (4.12)

Vim --version output:

VIM - Vi IMproved 8.1 (2018 May 18, compiled Jan 25 2019 04:31:10)
Included patches: 1-676
Compiled by aryehl@timeless
Huge version with GTK2 GUI.  Features included (+) or not (-):
+acl               +extra_search      +mouse_netterm     +tag_old_static
+arabic            +farsi             +mouse_sgr         -tag_any_white
+autocmd           +file_in_path      +mouse_sysmouse    -tcl
+autochdir         +find_in_path      +mouse_urxvt       +termguicolors
-autoservername    +float             +mouse_xterm       +terminal
+balloon_eval      +folding           +multi_byte        +terminfo
+balloon_eval_term -footer            +multi_lang        +termresponse
+browse            +fork()            -mzscheme          +textobjects
++builtin_terms    +gettext           +netbeans_intg     +textprop
+byte_offset       -hangul_input      +num64             +timers
+channel           +iconv             +packages          +title
+cindent           +insert_expand     +path_extra        +toolbar
+clientserver      +job               +perl              +user_commands
+clipboard         +jumplist          +persistent_undo   +vartabs
+cmdline_compl     +keymap            +postscript        +vertsplit
+cmdline_hist      +lambda            +printer           +virtualedit
+cmdline_info      +langmap           +profile           +visual
+comments          +libcall           +python            +visualextra
+conceal           +linebreak         -python3           +viminfo
+cryptv            +lispindent        +quickfix          +vreplace
+cscope            +listcmds          +reltime           +wildignore
+cursorbind        +localmap          +rightleft         +wildmenu
+cursorshape       -lua               +ruby              +windows
+dialog_con_gui    +menu              +scrollbind        +writebackup
+diff              +mksession         +signs             +X11
+digraphs          +modify_fname      +smartindent       -xfontset
+dnd               +mouse             +startuptime       +xim
-ebcdic            +mouseshape        +statusline        +xpm
+emacs_tags        +mouse_dec         -sun_workshop      +xsmp_interact
+eval              -mouse_gpm         +syntax            +xterm_clipboard
+ex_extra          -mouse_jsbterm     +tag_binary        -xterm_save
   system vimrc file: "/usr/local/etc/vim/vimrc"
     user vimrc file: "$HOME/.vimrc"
 2nd user vimrc file: "~/.vim/vimrc"
      user exrc file: "$HOME/.exrc"
  system gvimrc file: "/usr/local/etc/vim/gvimrc"
    user gvimrc file: "$HOME/.gvimrc"
2nd user gvimrc file: "~/.vim/gvimrc"
       defaults file: "$VIMRUNTIME/defaults.vim"
    system menu file: "$VIMRUNTIME/menu.vim"
  fall-back for $VIM: "/usr/local/etc/vim"
 f-b for $VIMRUNTIME: "/usr/local/share/vim/vim81"
Compilation: cc -c -I. -Iproto -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -DFEAT_GUI_GTK  -I/usr/local/include/gtk-2.0 -I/usr/local/include/pango-1.0 -I/usr/local/include/glib-2.0 -I/usr/local/lib/glib-2.0/include -I/usr/local/include -I/usr/local/include/fribidi -I/usr/local/include/cairo -I/usr/local/include/pixman-1 -I/usr/local/include/freetype2 -I/usr/local/include/libdrm -I/usr/local/include/libpng16 -I/usr/local/include/harfbuzz -I/usr/local/include/gdk-pixbuf-2.0 -I/usr/local/include/atk-1.0 -D_THREAD_SAFE -pthread -DLIBICONV_PLUG -I/usr/local/include  -O2 -pipe  -DLIBICONV_PLUG -fstack-protector -fno-strict-aliasing  -U_FORTIFY_SOURCE -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=1     -I/usr/local/include 
Linking: cc -L/usr/local/lib -L/usr/local/lib -L.   -fstack-protector  -rdynamic -Wl,-R/usr/local/lib/perl5/5.26/mach/CORE   -fstack-protector  -L/usr/local/lib -Wl,--as-needed -o vim     -L/usr/local/lib -lgtk-x11-2.0 -lgdk-x11-2.0 -lpangocairo-1.0 -latk-1.0 -lcairo -lpthread -lgdk_pixbuf-2.0 -lgio-2.0 -lpangoft2-1.0 -lpango-1.0 -lgobject-2.0 -lglib-2.0 -lintl -lfontconfig -lfreetype  -lSM -lICE -lXpm  -lXt -lX11  -lXdmcp -lSM -lICE    -lm -lelf  -pthread -lncurses  -lintl      -Wl,-R/usr/local/lib/perl5/5.26/mach/CORE -pthread -Wl,-E  -fstack-protector-strong -L/usr/local/lib  -L/usr/local/lib/perl5/5.26/mach/CORE -lperl -lpthread -lm -lcrypt -lutil  -L/usr/local/lib/python2.7/config -lpython2.7 -ldl -L/usr/local/lib -lintl -lutil -lm -Wl,--export-dynamic      -lruby24 -lelf -lunwind -lexecinfo -lprocstat -lthr -ldl -lcrypt -lm -lpthread -L/usr/local/lib -L/usr/local/lib -L/usr/local/lib      

Default system vim config

User vimrc:

set term=xterm-256color
set t_Co=256
runtime colorscheme colors/slate.vim
syntax enable
:noh
:hi Constant ctermfg=220
:hi String ctermfg=220
:hi Identifier ctermfg=lightblue
:hi javaCommentTitle ctermfg=yellow
:hi javaDocComment ctermfg=178
:hi javaCommentTitle ctermfg=178
:hi javaAnnotation ctermfg=lightblue
:hi Comment ctermfg=178
:hi javaDocTags ctermfg=Yellow
:hi htmlTag ctermfg=220
:hi htmlEndTag ctermfg=220
:hi javaScriptBraces ctermfg=white
:hi javaScriptParens ctermfg=white
:hi javaScriptType ctermfg=white
:hi javaScriptFunction ctermfg=lightblue
:hi xmlTag ctermfg=lightblue
:hi xmlTagName ctermfg=lightblue
:set t_ti=^[[?1049h
:set t_te=

--

Aryeh M. Friedman, Lead Developer, http://www.PetiteCloud.org

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