×
×
homepage logo
LOGIN
SUBSCRIBE

Manchester man charged with molesting Amherst 13 year old

By Dean Shalhoup - Senior Staff Writer | Jan 24, 2018

MANCHESTER – A 45-year-old Manchester man arrested in November in Amherst on a charge of obstructing government administration is now facing a dozen more charges accusing him of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl – and taking photos of the alleged acts.

Christopher Verma, of 73 Lilac Court, was arraigned this week in Hillsborough County Superior Court North on eight felony and four misdemeanor charges, after which he was released upon posting a $25,000 personal recognizance bond pending his next court appearance.

Police said in their reports they arrested Verma earlier this month on a warrant, which detectives issued following their roughly two-month investigation.

The felony charges Verma faces include one count each of aggravated felonious sexual assault; attempted aggravated felonious sexual assault; and manufacture of child sexual abuse images, all classified as special felonies; one count of child sex abuse image, buy, etc., a Class A felony; one count each of felonious sexual assault; attempted felonious sexual assault; indecent exposure involving sex act with child under age 16; and criminal restraint, all Class B felonies.

The Class A misdemeanor charges include three counts of sexual assault – aggravated circumstances; and one count of false imprisonment, according to court documents.

Verma’s bail order prohibits him from having any contact with both the girl and her mother, remain on good behavior and appear in court when scheduled.

Reports filed in court show that the girl called Amherst police to the residence, which is not far from the center of town, early the morning of Nov. 8, 2017.

The girl, who met the officers outside the residence, told them that Verma, who she described as her mother’s friend, allegedly entered a bedroom the girl was in, which police said is the only bedroom in the house, “and was using his hand to touch her body while she lay in bed,” the reports state.

Verma then allegedly “took photographs of (the girl) while her shirt was lifted … (and) with her pants down.”

When police went in the house to speak with Verma and the girl’s mother, they said they found them in bed together. And when they asked Verma about his cell phone, he allegedly said he left it at home. When they asked the woman if Verma had a phone with him, she pointed at one on a nearby table, police said. When an officer picked it up, Verma allegedly “grabbed it from (the officer) and put it in his pocket,” the report states.

Told that police were seizing the phone, Verma allegedly “became defensive,” and said ‘no, you are not,'” police wrote.

That exchange is evidently what prompted police to charge Verma with obstructing government administration.

The day after the alleged sexual assaults, the girl, in an interview at a state Child Advocacy Center, “explained in quite extensive detail” the allegations against Verma, police said.

She described the alleged fondling and assaults, recalled “the snap of a camera flash several times over the course of the (alleged) assaults,” the reports state.

The girl also described the point at which Verma allegedly “disrobed and climbed into bed with her,” after which, police wrote, she allegedly “observed her mother, naked, attempting to climb into bed as well.”

At that point, according to police, the girl “attempted to climb over the wide of the bed to vacate the area … (but allegedly) felt Verma grab her wrist and pull on her in an attempt to keep her in the bed,” the reports state.

She was eventually able to get out of the bed, get dressed and call police.

Dean Shalhoup can be reached at 594-1256, dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com or @Telegraph_DeanS.

Newsletter

Join thousands already receiving our daily newsletter.

Interests
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *