NH political activist accused of sexually assaulting teen at libertarian festival

A New Hampshire libertarian activist, author and former Republican state representative candidate is accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl at a libertarian festival in 2022.

Elliot “Alu” Axelman, 31, of Hooksett, is facing four charges of sexual assault, two simple assaults and one false imprisonment for an incident that allegedly took place in June 2022 at the Porcupine Freedom Festival, known as “Porcfest.”

The festival is an annual week-long libertarian celebration hosted by the Free State Project, a movement of thousands of libertarians in search for more freedom, at Roger’s Campground in Lancaster, NH.

According to the Lancaster police incident report, the victim said she was hanging out with friends at Porcfest on June 25, 2022. The report details that when it got dark, she said she was separated from her friends and tried to find her parents. The victim said her phone was dead so she was not able to call them, according to the report. During her search, she said she ran into Axelman, who she described as a “family friend.”

According to the police report, Axelman texted the victim’s mother and said he found her. The victim said in the report that Axelman offered her a drink of hard cider, and she took a sip. She said Axelman led her into a field and told her “to sit between his legs” and then he kissed her on the neck, she told investigators. According to the report, when she tried to get up, she said he wouldn’t let her.

The report says Axelman grabbed her waist and pulled her back into his lap “pushing [her] butt into his groin” while he was erect.

A criminal complaint from Aug. 2023 states Axelman purposely engaged in sexual contact with a minor by “touching her buttocks with his body, where such contact can reasonably be construed as being for the purpose of sexual arousal or gratification.”

According to the Lancaster police incident report, when the victim was able to break free, she said she found her friends and parents. The report says she did not immediately report the incident due to shock and being scared.

The girl shared her story with her parents a year later, according to the report. The report details that the victim’s father and Axelman met at a Starbucks in Hooksett where they discussed a contract that Axelman signed. The Lancaster police incident report says the contract outlined six points: “Confess to your wife, confess to the liberty community, a written apology to the family, restitution of $150 a week until 3-28-2026, and an unofficial restraining order.”

Axelman was arrested in Aug. 2023 and posted bail. The case flew under the radar until a Patch.com report broke the story yesterday. Axelman is due in court for a trial on June 3.

Axelman has been an active member of the Free State Project since moving to New Hampshire in 2017 from New York City. He has testified in support of New Hampshire secession. He is a self-published author of numerous libertarian books including “Taxation is Theft” and “Presumed Guilty.” Axelman is also married and the father of a one year old child.  

Axelman ran for the New Hampshire House of Representatives as Republican candidate to represent Merrimack 24 in 2020. He lost in the special general election to Rep. Kathleen Martins (D).

Axelman was also featured in the NBC10 Boston original docuseries, Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of New Hampshire, which follows the story of the Free State Project from 2022-2024.

When NBC10 Boston asked Axelman for comment, he requested we reach out to his attorney. Axelman’s attorney, Jay Duguay, declined to comment on this case.

In a request for comment, a spokesperson for the Free State Project said, “Everyone is innocent until proven guilty, and we also take these allegations seriously. The accused individual has been asked not to attend events while this court case is pending.”

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