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Nashua man arrested, accused of sexually assaulting young girl

By Dean Shalhoup - Senior Staff Writer | Sep 18, 2019

NASHUA – Police maintain that about a month ago, a 4-year-old girl approached her parents and told them about what a man she knows allegedly did to her when the two were alone.

Hearing the alarming allegations prompted the girl’s parents to go to Nashua police headquarters the next day and report what their daughter told them.

And, the parents told police, they and the girl know the man she accused of touching her inappropriately and otherwise sexually assaulting her: Kristopher Mapes, 43, who lives at 18A Pierce St. on the outskirts of downtown Nashua.

Police said that during the next three weeks, detectives investigated the allegations, including taking statements from the girl and her parents, having the girl interviewed at the Child Advocacy Center, and bringing in Mapes for voluntary interviews on two occasions.

By Monday, detectives had amassed enough evidence to issue a warrant for Mapes’ arrest. Within three hours of a judge signing the warrant, Mapes was in custody and headed to police headquarters for booking.

He was initially charged with three counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault, special felonies, but the case summary of Mapes’ Superior Court file describes the charges as one count of aggravated felonious sexual assault – victim under age 13, a special felony, and two counts of felonious sexual assault – sexual contact, victim under age 13, Class B felonies.

Mapes, who was housed overnight at Valley Street jail in Manchester, entered not guilty pleas and waived formal arraignment on the charges Tuesday in Hillsborough County Superior Court-South.

During a subsequent bail hearing, Judge Charles Temple continued Mapes’ $25,000 cash or surety bail, and imposed conditions that prohibit Mapes from having any contact with the girl or her family, or with anyone under age 16.

Mapes is due back in court on Dec. 4 for a dispositional conference.

According to police reports and their supporting affidavit, the girl was consistent in her description of Mapes’ alleged acts each time she told what happened, beginning with her parents, then with police and then with the forensic interviewers at the Child Advocacy Center.

Police said detectives were granted consent early in the investigation to take photographs of Mapes’ residence and seize bedding from his bedroom. Mapes also consented to police collecting a buccal swab from him, police said.

During interviews with detectives, Mapes described the nature of the allegations more as the two playing rather than being sexual in nature, the reports indicate.

During Mapes’ final pre-arrest interview on Sunday, detectives told him they “knew more had occurred” than what Mapes disclosed during his first interview with police.

Moments later, police said, Mapes told detectives “he could not talk about this anymore,” and ended the interview.

When Mapes was arrested on Monday, one of the detectives asked him if he would be willing to speak with him, but Mapes declined, police said.

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

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