Former Concord Teacher, Facing Felony Charges, Held Without Bail

CONCORD, NH — A superior court judge rejected a request by a former Concord high school teacher accused of prostitution and creating and possessing child image sex abuse images who wants to be let out of jail on bail because he did not believe family members could keep him away from the Internet and believed him to be a danger to the public.

Merrimack County Superior Court Judge John Kissinger rejected the request Tuesday after an hour-long hearing into the case against Joshua Harwood, 36, of Manchester who was arrested last week on two counts of manufacture child sexual abuse images, prostitution involving a child under 18, and possession of child sexual abuse images, all felonies, as well as two counts of misdemeanor prostitution and endangering the welfare of a child. The former teacher, who also worked for Southern New Hampshire University and the Farmington School District, is being held at the Merrimack County Jail.

During the hearing, George Waldron, the deputy county attorney in Merrimack County, and Dets. Mark Schneible and Wade Brown of the Concord Police Department outlined the accusations against Harwood including interactivity online with boys and a now 18-year-old man who lives near Concord High School.

The man accused Harwood of interacting with him on Grindr, a self-described dating site and app for gay and bisexual men and the trans community, and, at first, pretending to be a junior at the high school, according to an affidavit. After moving from Grindr to Instagram, the man realized Harwood was not a junior but was an adult, a father, and an educator at the school. After learning this information, the man contacted the Concord School District to alert administrators.

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Police began investigating the allegations, speaking with the man as well as receiving material from him. As part of the investigation, police accused Harwood of making 38 Venmo transactions with the man and five others he is accused of communicating from January 2019 through December 2020. Police also accused Harwood of beginning sexual encounters with the man, who was a boy at the time and paying for the encounters.

Brown said he was still investigating the case and found digital evidence on multiple devices.

Police also secured video from the high school showing that Harwood was at the school while communicating with the man while in a classroom.

Brown also added that a parent from Farmington had reached out to police with concerns about the Harwood case but there was nothing to report yet.

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Attorney Offers Strict Bail Conditions

Elroy Sequeria of Cohen & Winters, Harwood's attorney, countered that while the charges were serious if released, his client's family members would take steps to ensure he would not access the Internet or be around children other than his own.

His mother, who testified via phone, said she lived in a 55-plus community in the northern part of Concord where children would not be allowed to live. She agreed to shut down her Internet access to ensure Harwood did not have access to the web. She added that she was not concerned about her safety or anyone else's with him out.

"I care about him," she said. "He's my son. I'm very proud of him … immensely proud of him. He's a wonderful, caring son and I care what happens to him. I will do anything to help him get through this."

Waldron noted she lived near an elementary school but she said she would watch over him and make sure he did not leave the home unsupervised.

Harwood's wife also made a commitment to keep him away from the Internet if released by changing passwords and getting rid of devices the family did not need. She said, since she worked from home, she would be able to keep him from accessing the web. She also stated she was not concerned about him being near their children.

"We would make it work," she said. "He's a big part of our family and he's a fantastic father."

During cross-examination, a prosecutor questioned her about her work helping Harwood fight his termination at SNHU where he was accused of inappropriate texting with a student. She confirmed she actively tried to overturn the firing. When asked why Harwood's wife stated she did not believe the accusations against her husband.

"Yes," she said. "I don't believe he did it."

When asked about him being accused of being active on Grindr and the allegations, she said she did not believe he was on the site. When asked about all the evidence and repeating the question if she did or did not believe Harwood was active on Grindr, she replied, "I don't." When asked if she knew about alleged communication between Harwood and men on Instagram, she said she didn't know.

"Do you really know your husband?," the prosecutor asked.

"I'd like to think I do," she said.

Harwood's wife also confirmed the family lived near three schools in Manchester but added she was selling his car and would keep control of her car keys so he would not able to access transportation while out on bail.

Sequeria said Harwood had no previous criminal history, had ties to the community, turned himself in voluntarily, and did not pose a flight risk.

"He didn't run," he said. "He didn't hide. He didn't conceal evidence or destroy it. The allegations surround the use of social media and any perceived danger can easily be mitigated and or even alleviated by the conditions we are requesting … the statute is clear: He should be released on the strictest of conditions."

Sequeria said Harwood had lived most of his life in New Hampshire.

In the end, Kissinger sided with the prosecution.

"I'm going to order the bail, that I previously issued, that Mr. Harwood be detained without bail, remain in effect," Kissinger said.

The judge explained while he appreciated the input of his family members, they would be acting as Harwood's "jailer." Harwood, he believed, was a danger to the public, since the accusations involved communicating with young people via the Internet while attempting to and being accused of successfully exchanging money for sex, on "not just once but dozens of occasions." He called it "deeply disturbing" Harwood was accused of pretending to be a boy while interacting with others on Grindr.

"Now," he said, "I can have somebody on a bracelet. I can certainly have someone controlled. But what I can't control is 24 hours a day, seven days a week, access to the Internet. And the way that these crimes occurred poses a very serious risk to the wellbeing of the public."

SAU 8 Releases Interview Timeline

At its monthly meeting Monday, Concord School District officials released a timeline of Harwood's hiring process.

In April 2020, Harwood was interviewed by two administrators and five teachers. His references were also checked by the high school administration and he was recommended for the job. Harwood had a letter of recommendation from an official at SNHU despite being fired from the school in 2019.

SNHU released a statement Saturday confirming he worked there between January 2016 and April 2019 and was terminated — while also denying that any administrative official provided a reference or recommendation for Harwood. Even though he was fired, information about him was still on SNHU websites — including an article after he won an academic advisory award in 2017.

Late in April 2020, Harwood interviewed with Franklyn Bass, the interim school superintendent in Concord at the time, and was nominated to be hired by the board of education. He went through a federal criminal background check in May and was fingerprinted in August. Central office staffers interviewed him twice, in May and June, and his credentialing was checked, too.

Harwood started working in Concord on Aug. 26, 2020.

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