Monday, October 13, 2008

Jeremy "Jay" Semprebon - Repeat Sex Offender Prowling for Victims


Child rapist Jeremy "Jay" Semprebon, who is charged by local police with five felonies related to his sex offender status, was arraigned Tuesday by Rye police on new charges.

Arraigned by video from the Rockingham County House of Corrections, where he is being held on $30,000 cash bail, Semprebon was charged with new counts of "duty to report" and prohibited sales. The duty to report charge is a felony and alleges Semprebon, 39, of 541 Washington Road, Rye, failed to notify police of his change of employment status on Aug. 14, when he lost his job with AIDS Response-Seacoast. The prohibited sales charge alleges that on Nov. 6 or 7, he gave a 17-year-old boy a cocktail containing liquor.

Rye police Sgt. Scott Blaisdell petitioned the District Court to impose $2,000 personal recognizance bail on the new charges, in light of the $30,000 cash bail already set for the Portsmouth allegations. After examining Semprebon's criminal record, Judge Sawako Gardner set bail at $10,000 personal recognizance, noting that if the Portsmouth charges are disposed, the Rye bail will be reviewed. He was also court-ordered to have no contact with minors under the age of 18 and to return to the court on Oct. 20 for a probable cause hearing.

Semprebon was arrested by Portsmouth police on Aug. 14 on five felony counts of "prohibition from child care services of persons convicted of certain offenses."

Three of the charges allege that as an agent of ARS, he failed to disclose his sex offender status before counseling minors at Seacoast Outright, a Portsmouth agency which, according to its Web site, "seeks to change the social climate for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning youth in the N.H. Seacoast region."Another felony charge alleges he provided services "as a youth education coordinator" at the Cross Roads House homeless shelter. The fifth felony alleges Semprebon failed to inform ARS that he is a sex offender.

ARS never conducted a criminal background check, according to police.

The affidavit for his arrest has been sealed from public view by the court.

Police say Semprebon was convicted in 1995 in Strafford County for the aggravated felonious sexual assault of a 5-year-old. He told the court during his arraignment that he was sentenced to 7½ to 15 years in jail and served 12 years, inclusive of post-release probation.

"25% of all sex offenders re-offend within 15 years"
.........Sarah Tofte


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