Hooksett Man Pleads Guilty To 7 Child Sexual Assault Charges

CONCORD, NH — A man from Hooksett was imprisoned for at least 17 years after pleading guilty to child sexual assault charges.

Paul Gannino, 43, of West River Road in Hooksett pleaded guilty in Merrimack County Superior Court on Thursday on seven charges of felonious sexual assault-child-13 to 16 years old and two charges of using the Internet to solicit a minor for sexual acts. He solicited a girl via TikTok on Nov. 9, 2021, and sexually assaulted her repeatedly on Nov. 9, Nov. 23, and Nov. 24, 2021, in Hooksett. After pleading, Judge Amy Ignatius accepted the recommendation by the county attorney’s office that Gannino serves between 17.5 and 35 years in the New Hampshire State Prison for Men for five of the charges.

County Attorney Paul Halvorsen said after serving his time, Gannino will be subject to between seven and 14 years on the two remaining charges if he violates the terms of his sentencing and conditions of his release for at least two decades after his release from prison.

“In addition to being of good behavior and committing no additional crimes,” he said, “Gannino, on his release, must comply with any recommended counseling requirements and have no contact with either the survivor of his assaults or the survivor’s family. Gannino will be required to register as a sexual offender for life.”

Hooksett police served him with a summons on April 13, 2022, on seven counts of felonious sexual assault-penetration-victim 13 to 15 and a single count of endangering the welfare of a child. Police did not have a booking photo available of Gannino.

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