Former coach indicted on federal charges for producing child sexual abuse materials

Jon Phelps, The New Hampshire Union Leader, Manchester
·3 min read
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Oct. 26—A former assistant college basketball coach who earlier this year was charged with sex crimes involving children has been indicted this week by a federal court grand jury and could lose his home in Concord if convicted.

Joshua Pincoske, 47, was charged with production of child sexual abuse materials of "Minor Girl 1" on multiple dates between March 11, 2019 and March 12, 2021, according to court documents. The indictments were filed on Monday.

He has also been charged with using a means of interstate commerce to entice "Minor Girl 2" and produce child sexual abuse materials.

In all, he faces 13 counts, including distribution, transportation and possession of child sexual abuse materials, according to court documents.

Pincoske remains in jail and pending trial in Merrimack Superior Court on related charges, according to a news release.

If convicted on the enticement of a minor charge, Pincoske could face a minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, according to the news release.

According to court documents, Pincoske could lose property "traceable to gross profits of other proceeds derived from said offenses" if convicted. The property "subject to forfeiture" includes his 2,440-square-foot home on North Spring Street, computers, cellphones, cameras and MicroSD cards seized from the defendant in February 2022.

As of March 4, 2022, Pincoske's name is no longer listed as an owner of the home, but it appears to still be in the family. The home was bought in 2004 for $135,000, according to city assessors records.

At the time of his arrest, Pincoske was married and a father of two.

The case has been assigned to the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont, although the reason has not been disclosed. The office, along with the District of New Hampshire, declined comment. The case is being prosecuted by Jonathan A. Ophardt.

Assistant Federal Public Defender Behzad Mirhashem, who is representing Pincoske on the federal charges, declined comment Tuesday afternoon.

An initial appearance was set to happen on Nov. 1, but Mirhashem is seeking to move it approximately one week, according to court dockets.

Pincoske was arrested on Feb. 8 in Concord on felony sexual assault charges and charges of manufacturing child sexual abuse images. He was later charged in Strafford County after allegations of paying two 17-year-old girls to engage in sex acts in Farmington in 2020.

At the time of his arrest, Pincoske volunteered as an assistant men's basketball coach at Colby-Sawyer College.

According to Farmington police, Pincoske used social media, including Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook, to reach out to one of the two girls. He arranged a meeting with one of the girls and encouraged her to bring a friend.

During the fall of 2020, he placed $150 on the dashboard of his car and climbed into the backseat of the car, where the crime allegedly took place.

In Concord, the charges came after detectives obtained warrants to search two cellphones and a laptop, where they found hundreds of images and videos dating to 2017, according to an affidavit.

During his intial arraignment, prosecutor George Waldron called Pincoske a "serial predator."

Vermont United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest thanked all the departments that investigated, including the Concord Police Department, Farmington Police Department, New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Merrimack County Child Advocacy Center and the United States Secret Service.