2 weeks Ago
OSSIPEE -- The Bartlett man charged with sexual assault after allegedly supplying students at Kennett High School with alcohol was released Monday on $10,000 cash-only bail pending a future probable-cause hearing. Malcolm Badger, 28, appeared via WebEx from the Carroll County Jail for a bail hearing in Ossipee District Court presided over by Judge Gerard Boyle. At the request of defense counsel David Bobrow, Boyle sealed the arrest warrant in the case.
Before issuing his order, Boyle said he had reviewed the respective arguments, read the arrest affidavit and reviewed the charges against Badger, who had surrendered last Friday to Conway Police on a warrant for his arrest on sexual assault. Badger was told by Boyle that he is to have no contact with several people that will be named in the bail order and have no “unsupervised contact” with anyone under the age of 16 unless it is a family member, among several other conditions. Furthermore, Badger is prohibited from contacting anyone at Kennett High School and from being on the grounds of the school.
In asking that Badger be kept in preventive detention, Kimberly Tessari, who is an assistant Carroll County attorney, said Badger gave an interview to authorities and has also surrendered his electronic devices which detail multiple instances of illegal behavior. Bobrow responded that Badger has no criminal history and that he has strong ties to the Mount Washington Valley. His father is a doctor, Bobrow said, while his mother is a social worker.
Bobrow told Boyle that Badger’s parents were prepared to pay $5,000 cash-only bail. According to Conway Police, a school-resource officer at Kennett was alerted by students that Badger had provided alcohol to “a large number of high school students.” Conway Police Chief Chris Mattei said the arrest of Badger was made possible because of the trust the students have in that officer.
In a letter to parents, SAU 9 Superintendent Aimee Frechette encouraged them to have “open, honest conversations with their children about any information they may have that could be relevant to the investigation.” Frechette asked parents to be mindful of their children’s social media and cellphone use. The Union Leader has previously reported that Badger had worked as an independent contractor for Badger Peabody & Smith as a licensed real estate agent, but that the company terminated his employ because of the charge he faces.
Conway Police have said additional charges are likely..
