Man charged with teen sex assault

Monitor staff

A Tilton man charged Thursday with sexually assaulting a 13-year-old remains under investigation by police who say they’re pursuing leads about other potential victims.

Charles H. Beckley, 53, was arrested Thursday night in downtown Franklin on a warrant issued by Tilton police. He currently faces two counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault.

Police say Beckley sexually assaulted the teenager on more than one occasion during a six- to 12-month time period. Beckley knew the 13-year-old and her family at the time of the alleged abuse, according to Police Chief Robert Cormier.

Tilton police began investigating Beckley after a local mother reported May 3 that her daughter had been sexually assaulted, Cormier said.

On Thursday, detectives executed a search warrant at Beckley’s home on Grange Road.

Following his arrest that evening, he was interviewed at the Tilton Police Department and then booked at the Belknap County jail in Laconia. Beckley remains incarcerated for lack of $20,000 bail. He was arraigned by video from the jail Friday morning.

Before noon Friday, Cormier said detectives had received new information from witnesses who had heard about the case. He said additional interviews would be scheduled soon.

“It remains a very fluid investigation,” he said.

Tilton police are asking anyone with information about the case to contact the department at 286-4442.

(Alyssa Dandrea can be reached at 369-3319 or adandrea@cmonitor.com.)