CONCORD (NH)
Concord Monitor
By Laura McCrystal / Monitor staff
July 4, 2012
River of Grace Church in Concord was not aware of a former member’s alleged possession of child pornography before police involvement, according to the Rev. David Pinckney, the church’s pastor.
Stephen Bourne, 52, of Concord is currently awaiting trial on charges that he sexually assaulted a girl under the age of 13. He faces three counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault and two misdemeanors of simple assault. He was also arraigned last month on eight felony counts of possessing child pornography.
Although no pornography charges were filed against Bourne until last month, the Concord police first investigated him for possessing child pornography in 2010, according to a police affidavit.
The police said his wife, Janet, found images she believed were child pornography in Bourne’s home office, collected them and turned them over to her church elders at River of Grace Church. Bourne then went to a counselor, who reported to the police that Bourne admitted to looking at images of young girls. No charges were filed at the time because the images were burned before the investigation began, the police said.
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