Telegraph photo by DEAN SHALHOUP Bruce Hanson listens to testimony in his sexual-assault trial on Tuesday. Proceedings resume Wednesday morning in Superior Court.

NASHUA — When Bruce Hanson invited the young woman he met through their common substance-use disorder programs to his house one evening in 2013, the purpose was to “do some book work” related to the programs, the woman told a Superior Court jury Tuesday.

But somewhere between 45 minutes and two hours later, when they closed up the books and she was getting ready to leave, she said Hanson asked her to stay, then allegedly began kissing her before guiding her to a nearby couch – where she lay on her back as Hanson “slid” her pants below her knees and raped her, the woman testified on the first day of Hanson’s Superior Court trial.

But Hanson’s account of that evening’s events differs almost in its entirety from the version the alleged victim spelled out while testifying under both direct and cross examination before a jury of 10 women and four men.

The trial, which resumes this morning at 10 a.m., is the first of three jury trials for Hanson, a longtime Nashua resident who makes his living in construction, rental property management and as the owner of the Pine Street Eatery, a popular downtown diner.

Hanson, who turns 62 this month, is charged with a total of 11 offenses involving three alleged victims. The court earlier this year granted motions filed by his lawyer, Attorney Eric Wilson, to sever, or separate, the charges into three groups, each of which involves one of the three alleged victims.

In the current trial, Hanson faces two counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault, special felonies that accuse him of engaging in sexual acts without the alleged victim’s consent, and doing so through the use of force, between March 1 and July 1, 2013.

His second trial, currently scheduled to begin with jury selection on Nov. 4, will address six of the charges: Two counts each of trafficking–involuntary servitude; aggravated felonious sexual assault–threaten retaliation; and prostitution–force or intimidation.

Jury selection for Hanson’s third trial is scheduled for Dec. 2, and involves the remaining three charges: One count each of trafficking–involuntary servitude; aggravated felonious sexual assault–threaten retaliation; and prostitution–force or intimidation.

On Tuesday, Assistant County Attorney Lin Li, who is prosecuting the case with Assistant County Attorney Brian Greklek-McKeon, described the alleged assault “the physical domination of a woman who attended the same (recovery) programs he did … a woman who trusted him, who looked up to him,” Li said, referring to Hanson.

The woman, who was in her mid-20s at the time, began using drugs in her senior year in college, according to testimony. When she fell into addiction, she entered an inpatient treatment program out of state, but later relapsed.

She met Hanson, according to her testimony, at a recovery meeting in Nashua, and the two grew close, eventually spending time together. She insisted their relationship was “about recovery,” and described Hanson as a good mentor who “seemed to know a ton about” recovery programs … “he always had positive things to say,” she said.

Although they spent a fair amount of time together, the woman said in response to a question by McKeon that she never pursued a “romantic relationship” with Hanson, nor did she “do anything to suggest to the defendant” she was interested, she testified.

On the evening of the alleged rape, the date of which was in contention–she said it was early June, but Hanson testified it was in March–the alleged victim said she tried to pull away when Hanson allegedly started kissing her.

“I was shocked … I didn’t see that coming,” she said.

She ended up on the couch, she testified, and said Hanson “got on top of me.” Although she said she “kept saying ‘stop,'” he allegedly had sex with her.

She kept the alleged incident to herself, she said. “I didn’t feel comfortable going to police … I didn’t feel like I could tell police. I wasn’t stable in my recovery,” she added, noting that she’d relapsed and was out of state for more than a year.

She finally worked her way up to reporting it, which was in February 2018, according to testimony. Police arrested Hanson a short time later.

Wilson, in cross examination, produced documents that he said indicate she “got high almost every day” in her sophomore year of college – two years earlier than she had previously testified she began using drugs.

After two police officers testified, prosecutors rested, and Wilson called Hanson to the stand.

Their first sexual contact, Hanson testified, was at a movie in Merrimack in March 2013. Hand-holding progressed to touching, and a sex act was committed, Hanson said.

At that point their relationship “changed drastically,” Hanson said. “It wasn’t just about recovery anymore.”

As for the evening of the alleged assault, Hanson said the alleged victim went to his house, but not “to do some book work,” as she had testified.

“We never even opened a book,” Hanson said. “I asked her about a (repeat) of what happened at the movies … she asked for (money) … I put (money) on the table,” he said.

He said the woman then began to disrobe, and the two went into another room, where, according to Hanson, they attempted to engage in intercourse.

“Did she indicate she didn’t want it to happen?” Wilson asked. “No, she wanted me to hurry up,” Hanson responded.

“Did she ever lay on the couch?” Wilson asked.

“Absolutely not,” Hanson replied.

Dean Shalhoup may be reached at 594-1256 or dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com.

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