Crime & Safety

Man Held on $30K Bail in Kidnapping, Sex Assault Case

Portsmouth Police say John C. Reilly performed sexual acts on a developmentally disabled adult male in the Home Depot parking lot in November.

A Milton man charged with kidnapping and sexually assaulting a developmentally disabled adult male in a Home Depot parking lot in November was ordered held on $30,000 cash bail in Hampton District Court Friday morning.

John C. Riley, 41, was arraigned via video from the Rockingham County Jail in Brentwood following his arrest by Portsmouth Police on Thursday night. Judge Mark Weaver ruled against Riley's objection that he didn't want the media to record the legal proceedings.

"I'm pretty connected to the community where I live," Riley said. "I have a lot of family."

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Portsmouth Police Prosecutor David Colby requested that Riley's bail be maintained at $30,000 cash and $35,000 personal recognizance and that he have no contact with any developmentally disabled people or any contact with his employer, Living Innovations in Portsmouth, One Sky Community Services or Community Services of Strafford.

“He was worker of the year last year and the state has fear that there may be other victims out there at this time,” said Colby.

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Colby said Riley is a danger to the community because of the way police believed he committed the crimes involved. He said the “victim was groomed for quite some time” before Riley allegedly committed the sexual acts in the Home Depot parking lot on Arthur Brady Drive on Nov. 2.

Colby also said that Riley is a danger to himself. He said Riley attempted to take his own life on Jan. 10 with a bottle of pills after he learned he was being investigated for the alleged offenses. Colby said Riley also represents a flight risk because his family lives in Maine.

Riley told the court he has lived in New Hampshire since 1994 and is single.

“Is there any way for bail reduction?” he asked.

According to the affidavit filed by Portsmouth Police Det. Timothy Cashman, Riley had driven the victim and another Living Innovations client to a Halloween-themed dance at Living Innovations on Nov. 2. After Riley dropped off the other developmentally disabled adult male, police say he drove the victim to the Home Depot parking lot on Arthur Brady Drive and sexually assaulted him.

Cashman noted that before the sexual assault, Riley had shown photos of his genitals on his cell phone to the victim. Portsmouth Police were later notified about the incident by an employee at One Sky, according to the affidavit.

During interviews conducted with the victim and his mother at the Portsmouth Police station, Cashman noted that the victim said he clearly told Riley to stop the abuse after Riley took off the victim's skeleton Halloween costume.

On Jan. 7, Cashman said police executed a search warrant from Portsmouth Circuit Court so they could go to Riley's Milton home and locate his cell phone, a computer he may have synced his cell phone to, and black thongs. Milton Police assisted with the search and Riley was cooperative, Cashman wrote.

During a police interview, Cashman said Riley admitted that he sexually assaulted the victim. "Yup, I did it," he told police, according to Cashman's affidavit.


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