The New Hampshire Attorney General’s office isn’t charging former Bow Police Chief Margaret Lougee for failing to record an interview with a minor in a 2016 juvenile sexual assault investigation.
Under the resolution announced by the state, prosecutors will bring no charges against Lougee as long as she does not seek recertification as a police officer for two years, starting October 18, 2021.
If she does pursue work as a police officer, the Attorney General’s office may bring forward the criminal charges.
Lougee resigned as Bow’s Chief of Police in May, after a no-confidence vote by department employees and following a town-commissioned review by an outside company showing Lougee mishandled a 2016 sexual assault investigation. The alleged perpetrator, in that case, was the child of a former police officer.
The review became public last December, which is when state prosecutors say they were notified of an allegation against Lougee involving her role in a juvenile sexual assault investigation.
Lougee was Bow’s Police Chief for four years. She’d previously spent 10 years as a town school resource officer.
In its report on its investigation, the Attorney General’s office says evidence shows Lougee failed to record an interview with a minor, in violation of state law.
“However, because of the defenses available to Ms. Lougee, the Office of the Attorney General concluded that the State would have difficulty prevailing at trial in this matter,” the report states.
