×
×
homepage logo
LOGIN
SUBSCRIBE

Two charged with child sex solicitiation

By Dean Shalhoup - Senior Staff Writer | Jan 7, 2020

NASHUA – On Monday, Jean M. Maxi Jr., 34, of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, appeared in Hillsborough County Superior Court-South for arraignment and a bail hearing on two felony charges accusing him of using social media sites to solicit sex from a person he thought was a 13-year-old girl.

Minutes after Maxi, who was granted personal recognizance bail, exited Judge Jacalyn Colburn’s courtroom, Manchester resident Robert Gagne, escorted by court officers, entered the room and sat in the same chair Maxi just vacated.

Like Maxi, Gagne is facing one count each of Certain Uses of Computer Services prohibited and attempted felonious sexual assault, Class B felonies that accuse the men of soliciting sex online from underage individuals.

The cases are separate and unrelated, but share similarities including both men being arrested on Friday on the same charges – Maxi in Merrimack and Gagne in Nashua – and both represented by attorney Ryan Guptill and prosecuted by Assistant County Attorney Brett Harpster.

In Maxi’s case, Guptill told the court he is studying architecture at a community college in Massachusetts, and working as a home health care aide. A New York City native now living in Fitchburg, Maxi “has no criminal record … and there’s nothing to indicate this type of behavior in the past,” Guptill said.

Harpster, reading from Merrimack police affidavits, said Maxi and the detective purporting to be a 13-year-old girl allegedly “agreed to meet up” at an undisclosed location in town.

But when Maxi arrived and realized he was meeting police officers rather than a girl, he allegedly took off running, forcing police to chase him, Harpster said.

When they caught up and tackled Maxi, Harpster said, several items, including “lubricant, body soap and condoms,” fell out of his pockets.

“He was clearly intending to have sex,” Harpster added.

In a post-arrest statement he gave police, Maxi said he “is not really a pedophile … the party consented, therefore I went along,” according to Harpster.

Maxi allegedly “asked forgiveness” and asked that he not be looked upon as a pedophile,” Harpster said.

Colburn, although “concerned that you ran from the police,” nevertheless granted Maxi personal recognizance bail, adding that she could find no indication he is a flight risk.

Conditions of bail include no contact with anyone under age 18, and that Maxi submit to a mental health evaluation ahead of a review hearing, which Colburn scheduled for Feb. 6.

As for Gagne, he and a person he thought was a 15-year-old male had allegedly been communicating online since August, during which time they allegedly discussed various sex acts on several occasions, Harpster said.

Gagne and the 15-year-old, who was really a Nashua police detective, agreed to meet Friday, Harpster said, and was taken into custody shortly after arriving.

Gagne allegedly “made some admissions” to police, Harpster said, adding that detectives were currently in the process of seeking a warrant to seize, and search, Gagne’s cellphone.

Harpster said Gagne is currently on probation in a case that stems from an incident in 2018 in Manchester, in which he allegedly shot a firearm into the air while parked on a street.

Colburn ordered Gagne housed on preventive detention, noting that he allegedly communicated with the person he thought was a 15-year-old male for roughly five months.

She also cited allegations in the police affidavit that Gagne was in possession of pepper spray and duct tape when he was arrested.

“I don’t know what that means, but it gave me pause,” Colburn said.

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

Newsletter

Join thousands already receiving our daily newsletter.

Interests
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *