Man indicted in strangulation assault on young boys

Michael Grant (Rochester Police photo)

DOVER, N.H. - A Rochester man has been indicted in the stangulation assault of two young boys in the city in October.

Michael Grant, 35, of 43 Academy Lane, was formally charged by a Strafford County grand jury last week in the assaults which took place on Oct. 11.

Court records show that Grant applied pressure to the neck area causing the two male victims, one 12 years old and one 10 years old, to experience "impeding breathing."

Grant faces up to 30 years in each of the two Class B extended term felonies in connection with the two assaults.

He also faces a Class A misdemeanor charge for allegedly forcing the 12-year-old to the ground. The Class A misdemeanor normally carries up to a 12-month stay in county jail, but due to the age of the alleged victim, Grant could be sentenced to prison for up to five years for the misdemeanor alone.

The Strafford County grand jury indictments were handed down Jan. 14.

An indictment is not an indication of guilt, rather that a grand jury has found sufficient evidence to move forward to trial.