Fortier's sex abuse trial delayed at defense's request

The sex-assault trial of Brian Fortier, owner of the West Alton Marina, has been postponed to give defense attorneys more time to prepare their case.

The trial of Fortier, 51, of Timber Ridge Road in Alton, had tentatively been scheduled for June, but Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Leonard granted the defense’s motion to continue the case.

Fortier is facing two charges of aggravated sexual assault involving a minor and two counts of witness tampering for allegedly offering college tuition assistance and other bribes to another minor in exchange for “sticking by his side” during the case.

The indictments against Fortier were issued in April 2022, eight months after John Murray, 56, Fortier’s domestic partner and manager of the marina, was arrested and charged with sexual assault involving employees he supervised.

In the motion seeking the continuance, Fortier’s attorneys say the defense needs additional time to examine certain documents related to the case.

“The defense is still waiting for key documents that have been held by the U.S. Attorney for New Hampshire’s office in a related case,” the motion reads. The Belknap County Attorney’s Office received these documents recently “and is in the process of [turning over] those documents to the defense,” the motion continues.

Murray pleaded guilty last December to 12 federal counts of production of child sexual abuse materials and four counts of sex trafficking of a minor. In March he was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Concord to 25 years in federal prison on those charges.

In the Fortier case, the judge said she will review the counseling and school records of an individual identified in court documents as “John Doe #2.” Court records show the County Attorney’s Office received those documents on April 5, while Fortier’s attorneys received them on Monday. The records are classified as “in camera” documents, meaning they will be reviewed privately, and the public will not have access to them.

The final pretrial hearing in Fortier’s case had been scheduled for May 12, with jury selection set to begin on May 30. No new dates for either proceeding have been set, according to court records.

In seeking the continuance, Fortier’s lawyers said they were waiving their client’s right to a speedy trial.

Meanwhile, Murray is still facing sex-assault charges in state court.

Two sets of indictments returned by the Belknap County grand jury in 2021 and 2022 charge Murray with three counts of aggravated felonious sex assault, three counts of felonious sex assault, three counts of manufacturing child sex-abuse images and two counts of trafficking in sexually explicit videos.

A final pretrial hearing in Murray’s case has been scheduled for April 28, with jury selection set to begin on May 15, according to court records.