NEWTON — A 67-year-old Newton man last week pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault and was sentenced to a maximum of 60 years in the New Hampshire State Prison.
John Bird was convicted of sexually assaulting two young children over the course of many years.
In February 2024, the girls reported the long-term assaults to a trusted adult. Law enforcement then launched an investigation involving the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office, the Newton Police Department, New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children and the Rockingham County Attorney’s Office.
The girls were known to Bird and were between the ages of 6 and 8 when the abuse began.
When Bird was first indicted, he was facing more than 70 charges related to alleged sexual assaults dating back at least seven years, news outlets reported in September. According to court documents, those charges included rape, incest, indecent exposure, endangering the welfare of a child and sexual contact with a victim under the age of 13.
While most of the chargers were out of Newton, officials said the abuse also happened in other locations, including Hampton, Lincoln and Methuen, Mass.