Allenstown Man Faces Second-Degree Assault Charges In Concord, Accused Of Aggressive Spanking

CONCORD, NH — A man from Concord faces a felony child assault charge after an incident last month on School Street.

Around 7:15 p.m. on Aug. 18, police took a report of a child assault case involving aggressive spanking that left bruising on a young child with disabilities. A woman reported the incident occured the night before while she was working, and Todd R. Bouchard, 30, of Roland Drive in Allenstown, was watching her children. The woman noticed “bruising and redness” on the child’s buttocks the next day after a separate issue occurred, the report said.

The woman called police after back-and-forth text messages with Bouchard about why the child was injured, an affidavit stated.

Editor's note: This post was derived from information supplied by the Concord Police Department and does not indicate a conviction. This link explains the process for requesting the removal of a name from New Hampshire Patch police reports.

When asked about the incident, Bouchard confirmed he spanked the child and said, “it left marks” and “I didn’t mean to do it that hard and have felt terrible ever since,” the affidavit said.

“If you want to get someone to beat me up,” he was accused of texting, “do it like I said I f------ up.”

The child, Bouchard said, had an accident, and he got angry, the report said. He also stated he was considering taking some parenting classes, according to the affidavit. The woman countered, “What the f--- is wrong with you?”

The woman showed the text messages to the officer and a photo of the child’s buttocks and the officer noted there was redness and what appeared to be bruising, too, the report stated. The photo was entered into evidence, the officer wrote, and a warrant was issued for Bouchard’s arrest. He was charged on Sept. 6 and held on preventative detention.

According to court paperwork, the chief paralegal for the New Hampshire National Guard requested all documents connected to Bouchard’s case on Sept. 9.

The New Hampshire National Guard confirmed Bouchard was a “traditional guardsman,” noting he was not full-time but attended drills one weekend a month and two weeks during the summer, as well as additional training. He was not in a military status at the time of the incident. Bouchard self-reported the incident, and he has been “flagged,” meaning he is under administrative suspension for any favorable actions pending the outcome of his case, Lt. Col. Greg Heilshorn of the New Hampshire National Guard said.

According to posts online, Bouchard has also served overseas on behalf of the guard.

Bouchard was in court for a probable cause hearing on Sept. 15. A restraining order was also issued against him by the woman.

Back in January, according to a post on Patch, Bouchard was arrested on simple assault and domestic violence charges after an incident or investigation on School Street.

Do you have a news tip? Please email it to tony.schinella@patch.com. View videos on Tony Schinella's YouTube or Rumble channels. Patch in New Hampshire is now in 190 communities. Also, follow Patch on Google Discover.