CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - A former high school teacher has been accused of soliciting sexual activity from a minor in exchange for money and manufacturing and possessing child sexual abuse images, police in Concord said.
Joshua Harwood, 38, of Manchester, taught business at Concord High School. His attorney entered a not guilty plea on his behalf Friday on the charges. The judge decided not to release Harwood from jail, saying “there’s just no way for me to immediately control” Harwood’s ability to access the internet, given that the allegations involve online activity. Harwood’s next hearing is Feb. 9.
Harwood, who was hired in July, is no longer employed by the district, interim Superintendent Kathleen Murphy said in a letter to district families.
Police were notified about allegations of inappropriate online activity and past physical activity in December. Murphy had said that a former Concord High School student reported the behavior to a school administrator. Harwood was placed on administrative leave and banned from school property in December, pending the result of an investigation.
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