Former Officer Charged
By Kaitlin Mulhere
A former Rindge police officer and employee of the Conval Regional School District was arrested Thursday morning and charged with attempted felonious sexual assault on a teenage girl. John Vargas-Cifrino, 35, of Chesham Road in Harrisville is accused of touching the victim’s genitalia and breasts while she pretended to be asleep, according to an affidavit prepared by Keene police detective Jennifer M. Ramey. The incident took place in May and the alleged victim, who knew Vargas-Cifrino, was between 13 and 16 years old, the affidavit said. Keene police began investigating the case after receiving information on Monday from the Rindge Police Department about an internal investigation involving Vargas-Cifrino, who was a part-time Rindge officer, according to a Keene police news release. Keene police handled the investigation because the incident allegedly took place in Keene. Acting Rindge Police Chief Frank C. Morrill said the department received a complaint about Vargas-Cifrino late Saturday night and began an internal investigation on Sunday in accordance with the department’s policy. According to the affidavit, Vargas-Cifrino talked about the alleged incident with a priest, who then notified Rindge police. Following the internal investigation, Vargas-Cifrino chose to resign from the police department instead of facing termination, according to the affidavit. Vargas-Cifrino has also been a paraprofessional at Conval Regional High School in Peterborough, where he was a program aide who worked mainly with students with behavior issues, said Conval Superintendent Richard A. Bergeron. Bergeron said due to the serious nature of the charge, Vargas-Cifrino was placed on unpaid administrative leave and will not return unless he is acquitted of the charge. Morrill said Vargas-Cifrino, who worked with the Rindge Police Department for nearly 11 years, was well-known and respected in the community. He was not only a fellow officer, but he was also a friend to many in the department, Morrill said. “This news is disturbing and a challenge for all department members to digest,” Morrill said. Vargas-Cifrino was arraigned Thursday in 8th Circuit Court District Division in Keene and released on $10,000 personal recognizance. He was ordered not to have contact with the alleged victim or any other witnesses for the case and cannot have unsupervised contact with anyone under 18. He also must surrender his passport, remain in New Hampshire and continue mental health counseling. Keene police said more charges are expected in the case. Vargas-Cifrino is next scheduled to appear in court for a probable cause hearing on Aug. 15. The case remains under investigation by Keene police. Anyone with information can contact Ramey at 357-9820 or provide an anonymous tip at www.ci.keene.nh.us/departments/police/anonymous-crime-tips Kaitlin Mulhere can be reached at 352-1234, extension 1439, or kmulhere@keenesentinel.com
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