A former Concord High School teacher faced a judge Friday, a day after police in New Hampshire arrested him over allegations that he paid a 16-year-old boy for sexual photos and videos, as well as for a sexual act.
Joshua Harwood, a 36-year-old from Manchester, pleaded not guilty to a string of charges, including prostitution involving a child under the age of 18.
Prosecutors said Harwood, a married father with two children, started messaging the then-16-year-old boy on a gay dating app in January 2019. Police said Harwood continued to communicate with the boy for nearly two years through several social networking apps, paying him more than $900 for various sexual videos and photos and for a sexual act.
According to court filings, Harwood once traveled to the boy’s home to perform a sex act on him.
The former student, who is now 18, reached out to school administrators in December after he said Harwood reached out to him again, posing as a teenager. He said Harwood sent a link to his Instagram account and that’s when he realized that Harwood was a teacher at the high school.
In that instance, prosecutors said the victim noticed that Harwood was chatting with him while at work.
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“It’s obviously disheartening to hear that a teacher that’s entrusted with the welfare and the better being of our children being accused of this,” said Deputy Concord Police Chief John Thomas.
The school said Harwood was hired in August 2020. He has since been terminated.
It appears that the victim was no longer a student when Harwood joined the faculty.
Police fear that there could be additional victims.
