NORTHFIELD / TILTON: Church leader wanted for assault | Concord Monitor

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Church leader wanted for assault

By ANNMARIE TIMMINS and MELANIE ASMAR Monitor staff Saturday, February 19, 2005 NORTHFIELD - The police are searching for a 45-year-old church volunteer who is wanted on charges that he sexually assaulted several girls and stole church money. Scott Nash, previously of 20 Summer St., was the senior warden at the Trinity Episcopal Church in Tilton. He is wanted on two counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault, one count of felonious sexual assault and one count of theft. Nash was previously convicted of stealing money from an employer and served time in jail. The alleged assaults occurred over the past year, some of them at Nash's Summer Street residence, according to Northfield Police Chief Scott Hilliard. He has since been evicted. A member of the church for five years, Nash was one of two youth ministers. He also performed secretarial duties as a paid part-time administrator, according to the Rev. Tim Rich of the Episcopal Diocese. The alleged assaults came to light when several parishioners approached the Rev. Janet Lombardo of Trinity Episcopal Church. Lombardo said she contacted the diocese and the police. 'It's just a really hard thing to go through,' she said. 'We'll just keep taking it day by day.' Lombardo described Nash as outgoing and friendly. The congregation of 50 regular members elected him to the position of senior warden, she said. A senior warden is a leader in the parish who works closely with the priest to help decide the church's direction.

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10/14/2013

NORTHFIELD / TILTON: Church leader wanted for assault | Concord Monitor

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To become a youth minister, Nash went through six hours of training on how to keep children safe, Rich said. The church also requires that at least two adults chaperone the children at all times. The police did not say whether the alleged assaults were connected to Nash's work with the church. 'It's a real betrayal of trust,' Rich said. 'He was very popular in the church. He was much appreciated for his gifts.' According to Rich, the church does a background check on all volunteers working with children. Rich could not comment on Nash's background check, but he said the church has never deviated from its policy. The police did not disclose how much money was stolen from the church. Nash was convicted in 1991 of theft by unauthorized taking for stealing nearly $29,000 from a Littleton business, according to court records. A court clerk in Grafton County Superior Court said Nash stole from the local hospital. Hilliard said it was a restaurant. The details of the theft were not available yesterday. Nash served a year at the Grafton County House of Correction and was ordered to repay the stolen money, but it was unclear yesterday whether he had. Nash went to work for the former Oliver's Restaurant in Tilton while he was in jail under a workrelease program. Joanna Oliveremployed Nash as a cook for about a year and a half without problem, she said. 'I would ask him, 'How can you be this great person and have a problem like (the Littleton conviction)?'' Oliver said. 'He was a hard worker, and he came from a great family. I'm sorry to see he's in the spotlight again.' Nash's father and late mother worked at the Providian Bank in Tilton. His brother Richard Nash worked for the Laconia Police Department and served on the Laconia City Council before moving out of state a few years ago. Nash and his wife, Judy, separated in June 2000 and divorced last May, according to their file at Belknap County Superior Court. The file said the two divorced because of irreconcilable differences but did not elaborate. They have two children, a 22-year-old daughter and a 21-year-old son.

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NORTHFIELD / TILTON: Church leader wanted for assault | Concord Monitor

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After Nash left Oliver's Restaurant, he worked for another restaurant and ran his own catering company, Oliver said. One of his last jobs was for All Brite Cleaning and Restoration in Gilford, where Nash oversaw the day-to-day operations. Rob Stewart, the company's owner, did not know of Nash's theft conviction until a reporter told him yesterday, although the job application required Nash to disclose it. Stewart said Nash had caused no problems at the company and left it two years ago to work with the church. 'The most I knew about him was that he was really active in his church,' Stewart said. One of Nash's responsibilities at the church was to oversee the food pantry. Because of that, he had keys to both the church in Tilton and the former St. Jude's Episcopal Church in Franklin, which was used to distribute groceries to needy families. Late last month, Lombardo changed the locks on both buildings. St. Jude's was also home to a program that handed out free bread, meat and produce once a week. The program was run by Henry and Barbara Burns of Franklin, who were suddenly told to vacate the church recently. Diocese officials said it was necessary to secure the building. The police said the diocese has cooperated fully with the investigation. Hilliard said the police are confident that Nash knows he's wanted, although they have not contacted him. He was last seen on Tuesday on Union Avenue in Laconia, and the police said they believe he is still in the state. Nash is 6 feet, 3 inches tall, weighs 220 pounds and has gray hair and brown eyes. He may also wear eyeglasses. He may be driving a green compact car. (Anyone with information about Nash is asked to call the Northfield police at 286-8514 or the Tilton police at 286-4442.) By MELANIE ASMAR and ANNMARIE TIMMINS Monitor staff

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