MANCHESTER — A man accused of kidnapping his pregnant ex-girlfriend last month, driving her around the city with her hands and ankles bound in the back of her SUV for four hours before releasing her, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Hillsborough County Superior Court North to misdemeanor sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl two years ago.
Christopher Long, 29, of 156 Kenberma St., was originally indicted on three aggravated felonious sexual assault charges as well as two misdemeanor sexual assault charges in connection with the 2010 incidents. As part of the negotiated plea, the felony charges were dropped.
In court Tuesday, Assistant Hillsborough County Attorney Andrew Ouellette said Long met the 14-year-old Goffstown girl through friends in May 2010.
After texting and talking, the girl said she was 14. Long told her he was 21, but “he was 27 at the time,” said Ouellette. Ouellette said authorities learned about the incidents in March 2011. He said the girl told police one of the two sexual contacts occurred after she accompanied Long when he gave someone a ride to Boscawen and they parked on the way back. She said the other occurred when he came to her Goffstown residence in June or July of 2010.
Long was sentenced to 12 months in the House of Corrections, with 54 days of pretrial credit, on one of the misdemeanors. On the other, he was sentenced to 12 months in the House of Corrections, suspended for three years of good behavior, and two years of probation.
In addition, he is to undergo a sexual offender evaluation and follow up with any recommended programming. He is barred from having unsupervised contact with anyone under 17 and to have no contact with the victim.
Judge David Garfunkel told Long that means any direct or indirect contact, including posting on any social websites such as Facebook or MySpace where the victim could see it, even if it is not directed at the victim.
Long will have to register as a sexual offender upon his release from jail. If there are any probation violations, he will be returned to jail to serve the suspended sentences consecutively, which are consecutive.
In response to a question from Garfunkel, Long said he is now taking medication for anxiety and depression and has been under the care of a psychiatrist since April. Court documents show that following his arrest on the May 14 charges, Long told police he was depressed, suicidal and could not find the right dosage of medications for his PTSD, which he said is a result of his service in the Army.
Long, whose criminal record includes assault, violation of a domestic violence protective order, disorderly conduct, drug possession (marijuana) and false swearing, is accused of kidnapping and violation of a protective order in connection with the May 14 charges.
That incident began when he allegedly kidnapped his almost eight months’ pregnant ex-girlfriend from her New Boston home and put her bound in the back of her Chevy Blazer. He’s accused of driving her around Manchester for about four hours before she convinced him that she was in pain. He released her in the Elliot Hospital parking garage.
He left her vehicle there and went on foot to an East High Street address, next to where he had once lived with his now-estranged wife. He surrendered after about four hours of police SWAT negotiations and was taken into custody.
