NASHUA – A Superior Court judge this week commended Edward R. Hannon Jr. “for his significant rehabilitation efforts” while serving a lengthy State Prison sentence on multiple sex-assault convictions 20 years ago, but the judge nevertheless denied Hannon’s motion to modify the remainder of his sentence.

Hannon, now 56, was 37 and living at 53 Anvil Drive when he was arrested in July 2001 on a warrant accusing him of sexually assaulting a young girl on multiple occasions in the mid-1990s, according to his case file.

Two months later, prosecutors obtained 18 criminal indictments against Hannon, consisting of 11 counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault, six counts of pattern AFSA, and one count of attempted AFSA.

Four of the charges – three counts of AFSA and one count of pattern AFSA – were later dismissed, but a Hillsborough County jury convicted Hannon on all of the remaining 14 charges.

Hannon apparently based his motion for sentence modification on an issue involving the prison’s rules for entry into its sexual offender program, according to the order, which was issued by Judge Charles Temple.

“The court is not willing to modify this sentence in response” to those rules, Temple wrote, adding that “this is not an appropriate basis for interfering with the prison’s orderly administration of the sex offender program.”

Hannon’s maximum release date is July 1, 2025, according to his case file.

Temple issued the order “without prejudice,” which allows Hannon to refile his sentence-modification request “after he completes sexual offender tereatment at the prison,” the order states.

“Again, the court applauds the defendant for his significant rehabilitation efforts … however, the most effective rehabilitation programming will occur in full compliance with existing DOC rules,” Temple wrote.

“Upon the defendant’s completion of sexual offender treatment at the prison, the court will consider a properly filed motion to suspend” his sentence.

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

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