Two NH Men Sentenced For Sexually Assaulting Children

MERRIMACK, NH — Two men who admitted to sexually abusing children in New Hampshire were sentenced in Merrimack County Superior Court.

Stephen Hall, 30, of Franklin, and Charles Jansen, 36, of Concord, both plead guilty to child sexual assault charges in court recently, Merrimack County Attorney Paul Halvorsen said.

Hall entered guilty pleas to three charges of aggravated felonious sexual assault, and one charge of felonious sexual assault. Halvorsen said the girl was 9 years old when the sexual abuse started.

Read more: Franklin Man Indicted On Child Rape Charge: County Court

Judge Brian Tucker sentenced Hall to a minimum of 12.5 years in prison after Deputy County Attorney Wayne Coull urged the court to impose a minimum sentence of 25 years and Hall's attorney requested a minimum of 8 years behind bars.

Judge Tucker said if Hall completes the prison's sex offender treatment program, he may have his sentence reduced by one year.

"The fact that this case involved the repeated sexual assault of a child, starting when that child was 9 years old, I believe Attorney Coull was spot-on in requesting a lengthy prison sentence for these heinous offenses; however, the ultimate sentence lies with the presiding judge," County Attorney Halvorsen said. "This case was investigated by the Franklin Police Department and they did an excellent job in their investigation and case preparation," Halvorsen concluded.

Jansen pleaded guilty to five charges of aggravated felonious sexual assault. Each of Jansen's charges addressed a pattern of sexual abuse that spanned from early 2018 to early 2021. The victim was 10 years old when the sexual assaults started, Halvorsen said.

The State recommended that Jansen serve a minimum of 10 years in the New Hampshire State Prison with that sentence being served consecutive to a federal sentence Jansen is currently serving for distribution of child sexual abuse images involving a different child.

Jansen's defense counsel requested a fully suspended sentence with a minimum of 10 years and also asked that no pre-trial incarceration credit be applied to Jansen's State sentence in order to apply his pre-trial incarceration credit to his federal sentence.

Read more: Concord Man Indicted On Knife Threat Charges: Court Update

After hearing both sentencing arguments, Judge Andrew Schulman ordered in one charge having Jansen serve a committed sentence with a 10-year minimum to be served concurrently with Jansen's unrelated federal sentence.

Judge Schulman's sentence allows Jansen to receive 1.5 years off of his minimum sentence should he complete any recommended sexual offender treatment or should no treatment be recommended.

On the remaining four charges, Judge Schulman sentenced Jansen to fully suspended sentences with a minimum term of 10 years and a maximum term of 20 years.

"I do not believe Jansen's sentence on the New Hampshire charges is appropriate given the nature of Jansen's repeated offenses against a child; however, the final sentencing decision rests only with the presiding judge," Halvorsen said. Halvorsen also commented that the resolution of
Jansen's case is a credit to the proactive investigation efforts of the FBI and the actions of the
Pittsfield Police Department."