Sex Offender's Charges Turned Over to Federal Court

The case of a Merrimack sex offender arrested earlier this year on child pornography charges is now in the hands of the federal court and Keith Burns has been indicted on a count of receiving child pornography, according to a story in the Nashua Telegraph.

Burns, 41, of 11 Camp Sargent Road, was arrested in March, accused of having posed as a teenage male who convinced a 13-year-old girl in Oregon to send him nude photos. 

He was indicted on Dec. 4 in federal court following a temporary hold on his case as the U.S. Attorney's office decided whether to indict.

Burns, who has a lengthy history dating back to 1993, had served five years in prison on a 2003 charge of indecent exposure and lewdness. He'd been out of prison almost as long when he was arrested on March 7. 

At the time, he was charged with seven counts of possession of child pornography and one count of uses of computer services prohibited. He was indicted by a grand jury in Hillsborough County Superior Court in June on the charges.

Burns' previous convictions, according to the New Hampshire sex offender registry, include:

• Aggravated felonious sexual assault – Conviction Date: 2/17/1993
• Aggravated felonious sexual assault – Conviction Date: 2/17/1993
• Witness tampering – Conviction Date: 2/17/1993; and
• Indecent exposure and lewdness – Conviction Date: 12/15/1992

Burns is considered at tier 3 registered sex offender. Among the three tiers, tier three is reserved for the most serious sex offenders.

At a probable cause hearing for Burns a week after his arrest, Judge Rob Stephens denied a request for reduced bail, agreeing with Merrimack Police Prosecutor Melissa Kowalewski that Burns poses a serious risk to the community.