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Marc Jacques, the convicted child porn felon who has been lurking at local girls high school sports events for months, now faces a new round of charges for allegedly possessing child sex abuse images.

According to a statement from the office of U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young, the latest illicit content found in Jacques’ possession includes “several videos and images that appear to depict pubescent, minor females engaged in sexually explicit conduct.”

But perhaps even more disturbing is the fact that his probation officer had evidence of the alleged crimes for months and never bothered to take action, according to the affidavit filed in the United States District Court in New Hampshire.

Jacques, 50, is the father of Kearsarge High School’s Maelle Jacques, a biological male track athlete who won an NHIAA championship last year while competing against girls. Maelle Jacques’ participation on the Kearsarge girls’ soccer team last season caused several teams to forfeit games as the district ignored a state law protecting female athletes from being forced to compete against males.

But Marc Jacques’ unsupervised attendance at the same games inspired outrage when parents found out about his criminal history. Marc Jacques was allowed to be at numerous high school games and extracurricular events this school year, using his transgender child as a shield. 

Marc Jacques was convicted in March in a child sex abuse image case, but remained free on bail pending his sentencing. Though he was sentenced in September to five years in prison, the former Dartmouth College employee was allowed to remain free on bail — and attend school events — until Dec. 2.

On Monday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced new charges against Marc Jacques, including a new count of possessing child sex abuse images after he was caught downloading videos and photos depicting children being sexually abused while he was on bail. 

According to Homeland Security Investigations Agent Derek Dunn’s affidavit, Marc Jacques accessed and downloaded the child sex abuse images in August and September using devices that his probation officer was supposed to be monitoring. Marc Jacques was allowed to use a laptop, a desktop computer, and a cell phone while on bail after his probation officer installed monitoring software.

In both instances, the monitoring software captured the activity when Marc Jacques allegedly downloaded the child sex abuse material, but his probation officer never checked the software reports until October, Dunn writes. The videos and images reportedly depict young prepubescent girls being abused.

In October, parents in the high school sports community were concerned that Marc Jacques was attending Kearsarge girl’s soccer games despite his sex crimes conviction. Several parents contacted the United States Attorney’s Office in Concord with questions about why Marc Jacques was being allowed free access to the games.

The United States Attorney’s Office contacted Marc Jacques’ probation officer on Oct. 15 to discuss the conditions of release set for the convicted sex offender. This conversation prompted the probation officer to check the monitoring software on Oct. 16, for the first time since at least August, according to Dunn’s report.

Marc Jaques was arrested on Oct. 18 for violating his bail. He’s since started his five-year sentence in the original case. 

It’s not unheard of for people convicted in federal criminal cases to get a few weeks of freedom before starting their sentences, allowing them to get their personal affairs in order. But Marc Jacques received months of extra time after he pleaded to United States District Court Judge Paul Barbadoro that his transitioning son Maelle Jacques needed him at the high school soccer games.

“Maelle is going need me to be present and in attendance to support [Maelle] and protect [Maelle] in the face of the fears [Maelle] will have of what could happen to [Maelle] on the athletic fields,” Marc Jacques wrote in a letter to the court ahead of his September sentencing.

Kearsarge officials knew about the conviction and sentencing, but allowed Marc Jacques to be at the games anyway. They also said nothing to opposing teams when Kearsarge went on the road. Superintendent John Fortney said in a letter to parents after the Oct. 18 arrest that there was no legal way for the district to stop Marc Jacques from attending the games, despite the conviction.

Marc Jacques is due in the federal court in January for an initial appearance. 

New Hampshire is getting $5 million in federal funding for critical crime victim services as the needs across the state increase. 

“Without these funds, many of the services available to victims of crime would be reduced dramatically or cease to exist,” said Attorney General John Formella.

The Executive Council approved the funding, which allows the Department of Justice to make sure the victim service programs can continue helping Granite Staters in sometimes dire circumstances. 

“These approvals will allow the Department of Justice to continue to address the need for crime victim services across New Hampshire by sub-granting funds to the amazing organizations that provide these services throughout our state.”

New Hampshire uses the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant to fund the needed services, but the VOCA has been losing its regular source of funding—fines paid by those convicted of federal crimes.

Fines are getting reduced at the federal level, and the United States Department of Justice3 is pursuing non-prosecution agreements with some people which has resulted in the money not getting deposited into VOCA.

According to Formella’s office, it is happening at the same time more people are becoming crime victims. Last year in New Hampshire, calls to domestic violence and sexual assault crisis lines increased by approximately 63 percent, and the need for emergency shelters for domestic violence victims increased by approximately 30 percent from 2019.

VOCA funds are used to support services for victims through direct service organizations such as domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, and child abuse treatment programs. In New Hampshire, more than 40 victim services organizations receive VOCA funds including the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (NHCADSV) as well as the state’s 13 Crisis Centers, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Granite State Children’s Alliance (OSCA) and New Hampshire Legal Assistance (NHLA). VOCA funding is also used to fund advocates at the state’s County Attorney Offices, several Police Departments, Granite State Child Advocacy Centers, the Granite United Way, and Victims, Inc.

Some of these organizations would not be able to continue without the VOCA funding, the Attorney General’s Office said Wednesday.