Nashua PD Arrests 5 NH Men On Sexual Exploitation Of Children Charges

NASHUA, NH — The Nashua Police Department has announced the arrests of five New Hampshire men on charges related to the sexual exploitation of children.

Two of the suspects are from Nashua, two are from Manchester and the other is from Laconia, the department said.

According to the Nashua PD, the arrests were made on Tuesday and Wednesday and were part of a joint operation with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Department, United States Marshal Service and Homeland Security Investigations.

The arrested suspects were: Francisco Velez, 34, of Nashua, Christopher Foster, 44, of Manchester, Paul Brogna, 29, of Laconia, Keith Lacasse, 51, of Manchester and Richard Sullivan, 80, of Nashua, according to authorities.

"The Nashua Police Department has a very proactive approach for crimes that target juveniles, online or otherwise," Lt. Peter Urban, of the Nashua PD, told Patch. "The Cyber Crimes Against Children Unit is dedicated to these types of proactive online investigations. The unit also monitors compliance and enforces violations with individuals on the sex offender registry."

Velez was arrested Tuesday and charged with three counts of possession of child abuse images, all class A felonies, the Nashua PD said. Velez was released on personal recognizance bail and is scheduled to be arraigned in Hillsborough County Superior Court South at a future date, authorities said.

According to the Nashua PD, in July 2020, the department received information that Velez was involved in the sexual exploitation of children via the internet.

The department said that the Nashua PD's Special Investigations Division and Cyber Crimes Against Children Unit conducted an investigation, which resulted in an arrest warrant being issued for Velez.

Foster, was arrested Tuesday and charged with computer pornography prohibited, a Class B felony, the Nashua PD said. He was held on preventative detention and was arraigned in Hillsborough County Superior Court South on Wednesday, authorities said.

According to the Nashua PD, in June 2022, the department's Cyber Crimes Against Children Unit identified Foster as being involved in the sexual exploitation of children via the internet. As a result of the investigation, an arrest warrant was issued for Foster, the department said.

Brogna, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with indecent exposure and lewdness, a Class B felony, the Nashua PD said. He was held on $540 cash bail and was scheduled to be arraigned Thursday in Hillsborough County Superior Court South, authorities said.

According to the Nashua PD, in June 2022, members of the department's Cyber Crimes Against Children Unit identified Brogna as an individual involved in the sexual exploitation of children via the internet. As a result of the investigation, an arrest warrant was issued for Brogna, the department said.

Lacasse was arrested on Wednesday and charged with seven counts of duty to report, subsequent offense, all Class A felonies, the Nashua PD said. Lacasse, who also had outstanding warrants in other jurisdictions, was held without bail and was scheduled to be arraigned in Hillsborough County Superior Court South on Thursday, authorities said.

According to the Nashua PD, Lacasse has a duty to register as a tier III sexual offender in New Hampshire due to a 2001 conviction in Hillsborough County Superior Court South for two counts of attempted sexual assault and a 2005 conviction in Hillsborough County Superior Court South for certain uses of computer services prohibited.

Additionally, the Nashua PD said Lacasse also is subject to enhanced penalties due to a 2014 conviction for registration of online identifiers in Hillsborough County Superior Court South.

The Nashua PD said that in November 2021, members of its Special Investigations Division learned that Lacasse was non-compliant with his sexual offender registration. As a result of the investigation, an arrest warrant was issued for Lacasse, the department said.

Sullivan was arrested on Wednesday and charged with duty to inform, a Class B felony, the Nashua PD said. He was released on personal recognizance and will be arraigned in Hillsborough County Superior Court South on a future date, authorities said.

According to the Nashua PD, Sullivan has a duty to register as a tier III sexual offender in New Hampshire due to a 1995 conviction of sodomy and deviate sexual assault in the Circuit Court of St. Charles, Missouri.

The Nashua PD said that in September 2022, the department's Special Investigations Division learned that Sullivan was non-compliant with his sex offender registration. As a result of the investigation, an arrest warrant was issued for Sullivan, police said.

These arrests come a week after the Nashua PD announced the arrests of two other Nashua men, Adam Earl Egerton 27, and Leonardo Antonio Mckanobb-Hadley, 18, both of whom were charged separately with possession of child sexual abuse images.

"As technology advances, law enforcement has had to adapt to crimes occurring over the internet. Many juveniles today possess or have access to smartphones or other online devices which connect to the internet," Urban said. "Crimes such as solicitation and exploitation of minors online have increased in prevalence and the Nashua Police Department has made it a priority to have a presence in this area."

Urban continued: "We certainly don't do it alone, we have an outstanding working relationship with many other local, state and federal agencies, such as the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Department, U.S. Marshal Service and Homeland Security Investigations, to name a few. The collaboration between agencies allows for successful investigations and a safer community. It is truly a team effort."