Updated: Friday, Nov. 21, 3:00 p.m.
A first-term New Hampshire lawmaker from Franklin has been removed from his committee assignment following his arrest this week on allegations that he posted nude photos of a woman without her consent, a felony under the state’s 2016 “revenge porn” statute.
Rep. Bryan Morse, a 31-year-old Republican, was taken into custody Thursday. He was released on $200 cash bail, and is scheduled for arraignment on Dec. 18 in a Nashua courtroom.
On Friday, a spokesperson for New Hampshire Speaker of the House Sherman Packard announced that Morse would no longer serve on the House’s Education Policy Committee. Packard provided no other comment.
According to Nashua police, an investigation into Morse began in May when the victim, who has not been identified, told authorities that he had posted explicit images of her on social media platforms without her consent.
In a statement, Morse denied the allegations and said he intended to fight the charges. “I am pleading not guilty and will be fighting vigorously to clear my name,” he said.
Morse also said his arrest was the result of his efforts in the State House to “fight against indoctrination” in New Hampshire’s schools and boost student test scores.
“Little did we know that this commitment would lead down such a dark path, filled with threats, legal battles, and an onslaught of false accusations,” Morse wrote in an on-line effort to raise money for what he called “mounting legal fees.”
In his plea for financial help, Morse said he needed to raise $10,000 towards his legal defense.
“The past few months have seen me face allegations so severe they shake you to your core—charges that could end my career as a state representative and shatter our family's peace forever,” he wrote.
Following Morse’s arrest, Rep. Alexis Simpson, the top Democrat in the House, called the allegations deeply troubling.
“When you hold public office, you don’t get to break the law and just expect your constituents to follow it,” Simpson said. “Accountability must apply to everyone.”
During his first year in office, Morse has spoken repeatedly about what’s described as the dangers of pornography in schools, including claiming in social media posts that New Hampshire public schools are providing students access to books with graphic content.
Morse backed legislation seeking to ban books and other materials deemed obscene from public schools. After Gov. Kelly Ayotte vetoed the legislation in July, Morse issued a press release criticizing her.
“I am horrified,” the release said, “that Governor Ayotte decided to veto our committee’s reasonable bill to protect children from being exposed to graphic and inappropriate materials in schools.”
On his public Facebook page, Morse has said allowing trans people to use the bathroom of their choice is a threat to women’s privacy.
In a Nov. 6 Facebook post where he shared screengrabs of an exchange with a trans person about bathroom access, Morse wrote, “These are the type of sickos that are taking away a woman’s right to privacy. They don’t care how you feel or if you are comfortable.”
In 2016, then Gov. Maggie Hassan signed a bipartisan measure into law banning the distribution of images of anyone engaged in a sexual act or that displays someone’s intimate body parts without their consent. Violations of the law carry a jail term of up to 7 years in prison, along with fines.
According to his legislative biography, Morse is an electrical lineman who previously served two years in the Army National Guard.
Morse’s wife, Samantha, was elected Merrimack County Register of Deeds in 2024.
Editor’s note: This story was first published Nov. 20, and was updated on Nov. 21 at 3 p.m. with additional reporting.
