New Hampshire News

22-year-old man accused of rape convicted of reduced charge

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A New Hampshire man accused of raping a teenager during a 2017 camping trip was convicted of a reduced charge of simple assault.

The Merrimack County Attorney’s Office reached a plea agreement with Dylan Stahley, 22, of Hillsborough, the Concord Monitor reported Wednesday.

As part of the deal, prosecutors dismissed a more serious charge of aggravated sexual assault, a special felony that carries a state prison term of 10 to 20 years.

The victim disclosed the August 2017 assault to her therapist, who then notified the state’s Division for Children, Youth and Families in accordance with the state’s mandatory reporting laws, according to an affidavit prepared by Concord police Detective Wade Brown.

Concord police began an investigation in April 2018 into the victim’s report that she had been invited to hang out with a group of guys at the Concord quarry and the assault happened on a walking trail when she was alone with Stahley.

Stahley initially denied allegations of having physical contact with the victim but later recanted, according to the affidavit. The victim told investigators she had not consented to having sex with him.

He was ordered to serve 90 days at the county jail and to follow through on recommendations of his psychosexual evaluation.

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