Hooksett music teacher’s home for sale in wake of sexual assault case

HOOKSETT — A middle school music teacher’s house is listed for sale as he waived a scheduled appearance in Hooksett District Court on Wednesday on sexual assault charges.

Andrew Lalos, 34, is accused of having sexual contact with a former female student on school grounds and at his home in 2005. The married father has been free on $5,000 cash bail since his June 30 arrest on three counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault.

He’s also on unpaid leave from his job as a music teacher and band director at Cawley Middle School. The school district is recruiting a temporary band director/music teacher until the criminal case against Lalos is resolved, according to the superintendent.

Court officials said Lalos waived his Wednesday arraignment, which he’s allowed to do, and opted have his case heard at a probable cause hearing that is now scheduled for Aug. 17 at 9 a.m.

Attorney Adam Bernstein said he chose to waive Lalos’ arraignment because the proceeding would have dealt with felony charges, which Lalos cannot plead to in district court. He also said there was no dispute over bail, so there was “no purpose for an arraignment.”

Bernstein said he could not comment on specifics of the case because most of the court documents have been sealed, but added: “He will enter a not guilty plea. Absolutely.”

Lalos’ 18 Whitehall Terrace, Hooksett, home was put on the market in recent days. The two-story, four-bedroom, three-bathrooms house is advertised for $269,900, with updated information posted Wednesday on the real estate website NewEnglandMoves.com.

Lalos was charged after a woman came forward to the state’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force saying she and Lalos had a sexual relationship when she was 17.

Lalos was mentoring the girl, who was his former student from the middle school, authorities said.

The sexual contact allegedly occurred on multiple occasions at Cawley Middle and Memorial Elementary schools and at Lalos’ former home on Hooksett Road, where police said the girl had sexual intercourse with Lalos on his 29th birthday.

Authorities are charging Lalos under a narrow provision of the state’s rape law, which says the age of consent is 18 if one person has “clear authority” over the other. Otherwise, the age of consent is 16 in most cases.

Authorities would not elaborate on what type of relationship Lalos allegedly had with the victim.