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March 06. 2013 11:32AM

Plaistow mother, boyfriend face witness-tampering charges in abuse case

By JAMES A. KIMBLE
Union Leader Correspondent

Jessica Linscott, shown at right, of Plaistow is expected to face witness-tampering charges, along with her boyfriend, Roland Dow, for allegedly coercing Linscott's 3-year-old son on what to tell state child care workers while he was being abused. COURTESY

Jessica Linscott, 23, of Plaistow, right, is led away from a judge's bench during a bail hearing Wednesday by her public defender Maria Peppas. Lawyers were called to the bench by Judge Marguerite Wageling because part of the hearing was deemed non-public. (JIM COLE/AP/POOL PHOTO)

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BRENTWOOD - A Plaistow mother charged with neglecting to seek care for her 3-year-old son will be charged with witness tampering along with her boyfriend for coaching the youth on what to say to state child care workers prior to a home visit, prosecutors said.

Jessica Linscott, 23, now faces the prospect of state prison time after first being charged with six misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Her boyfriend, Roland Dow, 27, is headed to trial next month on charges of first- and second-degree assault for allegedly striking 3-year-old James Nicholson in the head and burning the boy's wrists and fingers.

The couple's latest troubles came to light during a bail hearing for Linscott Wednesday morning. Linscott and Dow remained on the run for two weeks beginning in late November until they were apprehended by U.S. Marshals at Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla.

Judge Marguerite Wageling denied a request by Linscott on Wednesday to have phone and in-person contact with her son.

Wageling decided that Linscott will be able to write letters to her son, but they first must be sent to county prosecutors before being passed on to the boy's therapist. Prosecutors say they obtained a computer video file that recorded Dow and Linscott talking to the boy on Oct. 23 just prior to a well-being check by a worker from the Department of Children, Youth and Families.

"Roland Dow and Jessica Linscott are speaking at different times," said Michael J. Zaino, assistant Rockingham County attorney. "The conversation ranges over lots of topics, but (includes) very specifically what he is allowed to say, what he is not allowed to say. He is not allowed to say he knew she was coming. It ranges from whether he gets bloody noses, whether he gets spanked, this takes up a span of 20 minutes."

Part of Wednesday's hearing was determined to be non-public by Wageling. Instead of holding the hearing in chambers, she called lawyers, Linscott and a witness to the bench. Wageling spent several minutes talking to the witness called by the defense, and then had lawyers make their arguments in open court. State law allows for matters concerning the Division of Children, Youth and Families to be shielded from the public.

Linscott and Dow are expected to each face two counts of witness tampering for the computer video recovered by investigators. Zaino said the file was recovered while executing a search warrant for a computer.