Kingston restaurateur charged with sex assault
By JASON SCHREIBER
Union Leader Correspondent
Published Feb 22, 2012 at 3:00 am
(Updated Feb 21, 2012)
KINGSTON —The owner of Lakeside Restaurant in Kingston is facing charges after two former female workers accused him of sexually assaulting them as teenagers.
Peter B. Merchant, 61, of 34 Worcester St., Haverhill, Mass., will be arraigned next week on two counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault and two counts of sexual assault.
According to police complaints, Merchant is accused of inappropriately touching a female employee between October 2008 and March 2009 while using his “position of authority” as her employer. The girl was between the ages of 13 and 18 at the time, the complaints said.
Other charges allege that Merchant sexually assaulted another female worker between October and December 2002. One complaint said Merchant locked himself and the girl, who was 16 at the time, in a bathroom stall where he allegedly touched her inappropriately “under false imprisonment circumstances.” Police said the assaults occurred at the 22 Main St. restaurant overlooking Kingston Lake
Merchant was arrested Jan. 18 and released on $15,000 personal recognizance bail.
The restaurant owner, who has operated Lakeside for more than two decades, pleaded guilty in 2003 to misdemeanor charges of prohibited sales in district court after he was accused of providing alcohol to two underage female workers at his restaurant.
Merchant was arrested in December 2002 after an investigation by the Rockingham County Sheriff's Department. He was given a suspended jail sentence and fined. The State Liquor Commission also suspended the restaurant's liquor license for a week.
The restaurant was closed on Tuesday, and Merchant could not be reached by phone at his home in Haverhill.
Merchant is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday in Plaistow.
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Paul Scorpio said:
While I understand sexual assault on minors is not reported by the victims for fear of not being believed or whatever, I also think there needs to be a statute of limitations on reporting such crimes because waiting 5,10 and in some cases people have gone 20 and 30 years is also not the proper thing to do either. Say what you want but it is only fair it should be taken care of as soon as it happens or within 1-3 years.
(Report Abuse)
February 22, 2012 9:14 pm
sally munson said:
@ Paul, just wondering if you would feel the same if this happened to your wife, daughter, grand daughter, son, grandson...Until YOU are ever put in this situation, do you really think you have a right to make a comment like this?Do YOU know what it is like to be sexually assualted? Has a member of your family been sexually assualted??To be sexually assualted is the same thing as rape..... Why does a person who robbed a store, a bank etc still get caught years later...So do you think that robbing a store etc is worse then being sexually assualted??? F you,, if you do think that way, because when someone robs a store it's only M.O.N.E.Y. ...When someone is sexually assualted they are FOREVER robbed of something far more important then money!
(Report Abuse)
February 23, 2012 8:11 am
Karissa Antul said:
I agree Paul you are disgusting end of story.
(Report Abuse)
February 23, 2012 8:24 am
Gordon Oliver said:
There has to be a reason why these girls waited 3 to 4 years before this was reported. Or, even worse, did they report it and were ignored or delayed. One charge is from 2002!.... Somewhere along the line, there has to be a balance struck. I can understand Sally's anger, but I can also understand how Paul feels. I hope the police did extensive investigating before filing charges and making an arrest. Just think of the damage that could be done to the accused by these accusations should they turn out to be false, and these young ladies are just disgruntled former employees. Until all of the facts are out, there is no way any of us can know what really, if anything happened. Sally, I know you said what if it was your wife or daughter, etc that was assaulted. Let me ask, what if it was your son, husband or father who turns out ot be falsly accused. No one ever mentions the FOREVER damage to them.
(Report Abuse)
February 23, 2012 2:41 pm
Vivian St Hilaire said:
Thank you Sally n Karissa. When a child is sexually assaulted it is so tramatic that it can get repressed. Until something happens in their life to trigger it; it's buried. When it surfaces it's like it happened yesterday. The assault happens all over again.Yes I am speaking from experience. @ Paul are you that naive that everything is black n white? When someone comes forward it takes alot of courage to speak n be heard. There's alot of embarrassment n looks from your friends (I'm speaking of children regardless of age) that the have to deal with. When appropiate the right ppl get involved; with extensive interviews as well as witnesses. The authorities just don't throw a name out there; without something to go on. When you have questions about an article do a little research. Chances are you will probably find out that the accounts are accurate.
(Report Abuse)
March 9, 2012 8:01 pm
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