By BOB MARTIN
Eagle Times Staff
NEWPORT, N.H. — The Newport Police Department has arrested a 20-year-old man from Tennessee on five felonies after discovering that he was soliciting two local minors online to send him sexually explicit material for money.
The arrest has led to the discovery of other juvenile victims and adult suspects, as well.
Jacob Isaiah Haun, 20, of Johnson City, Tennessee, was arrested on April 17 on the following charges:
-Manufacture of Child Sexual Abuse Images – Special Class Felony
-Conspiracy to Commit Manufacture of Child Sexual Abuse Images – Special Class Felony
-Trafficking in Persons – Class B Felony
-Indecent Exposure and Lewdness – Class B Felony
-Endangering the Welfare of a Child – Class B Felony
According to Newport Police Chief Stephen “Alex” Lee, Newport Police became aware last month of a report of “two 14-year-old juveniles in Newport” who were being solicited by an unknown adult online.
“This was through one of our typical child welfare investigations that comes to us through the school and/or DCYF,” Lee explained, noting that he was keeping the gender of the victims disclosed because of how small of a community Newport is.
Investigators conducted witness interviews, as well as gathered forensic evidence and executed more than two dozen search warrants for social media providers, internet service providers and wireless telephone providers.
On April 17, investigators from Newport traveled to Johnson City, Tennessee to execute search and arrest warrants on Haun and his residence, with assistance from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
In addition to the charges in New Hampshire, Haun was charged by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation with Aggravated Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. He faces charges first in Tennessee, and then after that prosecution he will be extradited to the Granite State to face charges in Sullivan County Superior Court.
The Newport Police Department is an affiliate agency of the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Through the ICAC Task Force, Newport Officers were assisted in this investigation by the Sullivan County (NH) Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln (NH) Police Department, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Johnson City (TN) Police Department.
Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office recently hired Eric Bates, and deputized Eric James and Justin Coombs, who were able to assist Newport Police.
“We did utilize their assistance in gathering and examining some of the digital forensic evidence,” Lee said. “We were downloading cell phones, computers and things like that, so their expertise helped with that process.”
Lee said Newport Police was conferring with the authorities in Tennessee leading up to the arrest, and while Haun was not initially on their radar, this sparked an investigation that will lead to a large number of charges in their state.
“This was new to them when we contacted them, but once we started working with them, they started doing a follow up investigation on their end, as well,” Lee said. “They helped build our probable cause leading up to today with their follow ups.”
Lee said on Tuesday afternoon that Huan was being transferred to a jail in Tennessee “as we speak,” and will have an initial court appearance there.
“Tennessee will be filing quite a few charges on him that were discovered during the investigation, and because he was arrested there, they get the first bite at the apple,” Lee said.
Lee said they are lodging a detainer on Haun so whenever he is released, “whether it is tomorrow or 10 years,” he will be in custody of sheriff’s deputies to be extradited to New Hampshire.
He explained that it is possible that Huan’s attorney will work a “global resolution” that resolves both his charges in both states. For example, the attorney could have him plead guilty to charges in Tennessee and he would go to prison there if New Hampshire agrees to drop their case, but this would be assessed “on a case-by-case” basis depending on the sentence there.
Lee said that forensic examination of digital evidence has led to additional juvenile victims and adult suspects identified in multiple other states.
“Newport officers are working closely with investigators in those states, and additional arrests and charges are anticipated in the near future,” Lee stated in the release.
Lee said the other suspects are not from New Hampshire. However, investigators also found that a different adult from another state was communicating with the Newport victims.
“We’ll be following up on that, as well,” Lee said.
Lee explained that they have been communicating on “multiple different social media and chat applications,” noting there are some that “you and I have probably never heard of.”
“We started with evidence on one platform and it showed that the conversation was continuing on another one,” he said. “When we got those records, it showed other service providers. Each layer of the onion peeled off showed additional layers.”
Anyone with information about this investigation is encouraged to contact Officer Cody Foster ([email protected]), Sgt. Alex Marvin ([email protected]), or call dispatch at 603-863-3232.
