A New Hampshire subsitute teacher was arrested this week and charged with three counts of possession of child sex abuse images.
Jonathan Harrison, 31, of Concord, turned himself in to Concord police on Monday and was held without bail pending his arraignment Tuesday in Concord District Court. Details from his arraignment were not immediately available.
Concord police said they and the New Hampshire Crimes Against Children Task Force executed a search warrant at Harrison's Crestwood Drive residence on July 30, and a warrant was subsequently issued for his arrest. They said Harrison was initially located and interviewed by Maine State Police on July 30.
No further details about the basis for the charges against Harrison were released by police.
Bedford School Superintendent Michael Fournier said in a letter to parents this week that Harrison had been working as a substitute teacher for the district, which is located about 25 miles from Concord. At this time, he said school officials have no reason to believe that any of the images Harrison is alleged to have possessed involved Bedford students.
"In early August, the Bedford School District was notified that the Maine State Police had contacted Mr. Harrison at his summer place of work. The Maine police, in collaboration with the New Hampshire State Police, acted on a tip alleging that Mr. Harrison had been in possession of pornographic images of children on the dark web in 2023, and possibly earlier, " Fournier said in his letter. "Although Mr. Harrison was not actively working for the Bedford School District during the summer, we nonetheless placed him on unpaid leave pending the outcome of the investigation. At this time, he will not be returning to work in the district."
Fournier said the situation "has been deeply troubling for all of us," and district officials are "surprised and concerned by this matter," especially given the diligence he said the district employs in their hiring process, including reference checks and comprehensive background checks, which turned up no prior indication of any issues.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Dana Dexter at 603-225-8600. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through the Concord Regional Crimeline at 603-226-3100 or online at www.concordregionalcrimeline.com.
