Mom accused in abuse case denied access to son

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March 6, 2013

Mom accused in abuse case denied access to son

Anonymous The Eagle-Tribune The Eagle Tribune Wed Mar 06, 2013, 11:23 AM EST

BRENTWOOD — A Plaistow mother was denied contact with the young son she is accused of failing to protect.

Jessica Linscott was in court this morning, requesting contact with her little boy, the boy allegedly seriously abused at the hands of her boyfriend, Roland Dow, also of Plaistow.

Linscott remains jailed for lack of $100,000 cash bail.

Earlier this morning, Rockingham Superior Court Judge Marguerite Wageling denied all contact between mother and son, with the exception of letters.

Wageling said there will be no physical nor phone contact between the young mother and her son, now in the custody of his maternal grandmother.

Linscott is scheduled for trial in early June on six misdemeanor charges for endangering the welfare of a child.

Dow, jailed for lack of $500,000 cash bail, is scheduled for trial late next month on a first-degree assault charge, two charges of second-degree assault and five charges for endangering the welfare of a child.

The case made national news last fall after Linscott and Dow dropped the 3-year-old at Exeter Hospital Nov. 16, then took off, eluding police for two weeks before their arrests at a Florida theme park.

The state charges Dow hit the boy in the head with his hand, causing a brain injury resulting in temporary blindness. The boy also suffered seizures and other symptoms, according to the indictment.

Now, it appears Dow and Linscott may face more charges. The county attorney's office announced today it is pursuing witness-tampering charges against both.

In October, the state Division of Children, Youth and Families, reportedly caught the two on videotape, coaching the young boy on what to say during an upcoming visit with DCYF.

Prosecutors would not say today whether Linscott will testify against Dow during his upcoming trial, scheduled for April 29.