Massachusetts

NH Sex Offender Accused of Kidnapping Teen Appears in Court

A sex offender who is accused of kidnapping a New Hampshire teenager last week and allegedly forcing him to use cocaine appeared in court on Wednesday.

Forty-six-year-old Charles Anderson of Manchester, New Hampshire, had a dangerousness hearing in Lawrence District Court. He was arraigned Thursday following his arrest last Wednesday.

Methuen Police say detectives stopped a vehicle Wednesday afternoon after seeing what they believed to be a drug deal. They arrested Anderson and a 16-year-old boy who was in the car.

Cocaine was found in the vehicle, according to police.

Authorities determined that the teen had been reported missing in Manchester. Anderson allegedly forced him into the vehicle, threatening him with death if he tried to flee.

Police say Anderson drove the boy to Methuen to buy cocaine, forcing him to ingest it.

The boy's parents and the New Hampshire Department of Children and Families were notified, police said.

"Every parent's worst fear is that their child will be taken from them," Methuen Mayor James Jajuga said in a statement. "I'm so grateful for the work of our police department, which resulted in a young man being reunited with his family."

"He was a missing child out of New Hampshire, and I think this goes to show you what proactive, preventive policing does," said Methuen Police Capt. Jim Jajuga Jr. You need to be out there, you need to work with the community, you need to make the motor vehicle stops. This is what we do on a daily basis, and this is exactly why we're out there."

The captain said Anderson is a Tier 3 sex offender in New Hampshire.

"We're just happy and grateful that we were able to remove the child from a dangerous situation," he said.

Charges against Anderson include kidnapping, possession of a Class B substance, distribution of a controlled substance to a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

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