Rockingham County Grand Jury Indicts Newfields Man on Child Sexual Assault, Attempted Kidnapping and Registry Violations Tied to Alleged April 11 Attack
BRENTWOOD, NH — A Rockingham County grand jury has indicted a Newfields man on a string of felony charges, including alleged child sexual assault, attempted kidnapping and sex offender registry violations. Prosecutors say Jacob Knipstein, 31, of Pisassic Road, is accused of sexually assaulting and trying to sexually assault a girl on April 11 in Newfields.
The indictment also says Knipstein failed to report a Snapchat account to police and told the girl to turn off location services on her phone or leave the phone at home so no one could learn where she was. The charges were among several returned by the grand jury and were filed without a conviction, according to court information cited in the indictment notice.
Knipstein faces a long list of felony counts
Knipstein’s indictment includes endangering the welfare of a child by soliciting sex, attempted kidnapping, failure to comply with sex offender registry rules as a subsequent offense, attempted aggravated felonious sexual assault, and three counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault. Each count is a felony.
The court filing says the allegations stem from a single April 11 incident in Newfields. It also says the defendant is required to follow sex offender registry rules, making the alleged failure to report a Snapchat account part of the case prosecutors brought before the grand jury.
No conviction has been entered. Under New Hampshire court procedure, an indictment means a grand jury found enough evidence to formally charge a defendant and move the case into the next stage of the criminal process.
Other indictments include drug, assault and theft allegations
The Rockingham County grand jury also returned indictments in several other cases involving drug offenses, assaults, burglary and theft. Tyler J. Gianitsis, 35, of Derry, was indicted on a felony possession of cocaine charge tied to an April 4 incident in Derry while he was incarcerated at the Rockingham County Jail.
Jason Ernest Gore, 32, of Groveland, Massachusetts, was indicted on criminal threatening of a law enforcement officer, simple assault on a law enforcement officer and criminal mischief. Prosecutors say he damaged a police cruiser, spat on a Salem police officer and threatened to rape the officer’s mother on Oct. 11, 2025.
Terrick C. Griffin, 30, of New York, New York, was indicted on felony habitual offender and driving under the influence charges after he was accused of driving on Exeter Road in North Hampton on April 2, despite certification from the state DMV that he was a habitual offender.
Crashes, property damage and repeat theft allegations appear in the list
Another indictment names Mariah Guilmette, 31, of Derry, on felony possession of crack cocaine and two counts of criminal mischief. Prosecutors say she crashed into a fence owned by the Sanborn Regional School District and a utility pole owned by Unitil in Kingston on Jan. 21.
Vicki Jo Knowles, 43, of Seabrook, was indicted on a felony burglary charge after investigators said she worked with Aaron Douglas Driver to enter a building on Amesbury Road in Kensington on Nov. 26, 2025. Sara E. Laboeuf, 52, of Worcester, Massachusetts, was also indicted on a felony theft by unauthorized taking charge for allegedly stealing merchandise from Target in Salem on April 3, 2025.
According to the indictment notice, Laboeuf has two prior convictions, and Karen L. Lemay, 47, of Dover, has been convicted twice before on theft charges. Lemay was indicted on a felony theft by unauthorized taking charge for allegedly stealing merchandise from Walmart in Newington on Oct. 26, 2024.
Salem and Newington retail theft cases remain in court
Liang Ma, 44, of Brooklyn, New York, was indicted on a felony theft by unauthorized taking charge. Prosecutors say he stole more than $1,500 worth of merchandise from Home Depot in Salem on Nov. 5, 2025.
The indictments show a mix of alleged offenses across the county, from alleged assaults on police and reported vehicle damage to thefts from stores and drug possession. Each case now moves forward in Superior Court, where the defendants will have the opportunity to respond to the accusations.
Patch’s notice said the post was based on information provided by the Rockingham County Superior Court and does not constitute a conviction. That warning applies to all of the people named in the indictment list.
How the grand jury process works in New Hampshire
Grand jury indictments in New Hampshire are formal accusations, not findings of guilt. They are issued when jurors determine there is enough evidence to charge a person with a crime and send the case to Superior Court for further proceedings.
In this Rockingham County list, the charges span multiple towns and cities, including Derry, Salem, North Hampton, Kingston, Kensington, Newington and Newfields. The cases range from cocaine possession and habitual offender driving to burglary, theft, child sexual abuse image distribution and sexual assault allegations.
The indictment notice also noted that people seeking removal of their names from New Hampshire Patch police reports can follow the publication’s request process. The legal allegations themselves, however, remain part of the public court record unless and until a court changes that status.
