Lawrence Pilla Hangs Self in Cell After Admitting Sexual Assault

The man found dead at the New Hampshire Department of Corrections on Nov. 9 was identified as Lawrence Pilla who had just started serving his sentence on multiple charges of assaulting a 15-year-old Dover girl.

Pilla, 61, was charged with ten counts of sexual assault of the girl who was unrelated but lived at his Dover home. entered his plea on Nov. 8 and was immediately sentenced to 20 to 60 years on multiple counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault.

He was found dead the next day after hanging himself, according to the Department of Corrections.

Court documents detail an alleged pattern of sexual assault occurring between Pilla and a teenage girl, who is now 16. She was 12 years old when the alleged sexual assault began.

Pilla was an active administrator for The (un)Official City of Dover, NH Facebook group, up until a few days prior to his arrest in October. He removed himself as administrator just before his arrest.

Previous reporting by Richard Morin was used in this report

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNH

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Filed Under: Crime, Dover, New Hampshire, Seacoast, Strafford County

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