By Granite State Report
A freshman Republican state representative who has railed against “pornography in schools” is now facing a felony charge under New Hampshire’s own “revenge porn” law.
Rep. Bryan Morse, 31, of Franklin, was arrested Thursday, Nov. 20, after police alleged he posted nude photographs of a woman on social media without her consent — conduct that falls under the state’s 2016 statute banning non-consensual distribution of intimate images.(New Hampshire Public Radio)
Morse was taken into custody by Nashua police, released on $200 cash bail, and is scheduled for arraignment Dec. 18 in a Nashua courtroom.(New Hampshire Public Radio)
The allegation
According to Nashua police, the investigation began in May, when a woman — who has not been publicly identified — told authorities that Morse had posted explicit images of her to social media platforms.(New Hampshire Public Radio)
Under New Hampshire’s “revenge porn” law, passed in 2016, it is a felony to distribute images of a person engaged in a sexual act or showing their intimate parts without that person’s consent. The law carries a potential prison sentence of up to seven years, plus fines.(New Hampshire Public Radio)
The complaint against Morse alleges exactly that: that he shared nude photos of the woman online without her permission.
Morse denies wrongdoing
In a written statement after his arrest, Morse flatly denied the allegations and signaled he intends to mount an aggressive defense.
“I am pleading not guilty and will be fighting vigorously to clear my name,” he said, adding that he has received “disturbing and threatening messages” related to his work at the State House.(New Hampshire Public Radio)
At this stage, the charge is just that — an accusation. Morse is legally presumed innocent unless and until he is convicted in court.
Public morality crusader now facing an obscenity-adjacent charge
The arrest lands with extra political weight because Morse has spent his first year in the legislature positioning himself as a defender of public morality.
During the 2025 session, Morse:
- Repeatedly claimed that New Hampshire public schools were giving students access to books with “graphic” sexual content.(New Hampshire Public Radio)
- Supported legislation to ban books and materials deemed obscene from public schools.
- Blasted Gov. Kelly Ayotte after she vetoed that bill in July, saying he was “horrified” the governor had rejected what he called a reasonable effort to protect children.(New Hampshire Public Radio)
On his public Facebook page, Morse has also framed transgender people’s access to bathrooms as a threat to women’s privacy, calling trans people “sickos” in a November post while sharing screenshots of a bathroom-access argument.(New Hampshire Public Radio)
In recent days, before his arrest became public, he shared a local news article about a substitute teacher accused of sexual assault — part of a broader pattern of casting himself as a watchdog on sexual content and safety in schools.(New Hampshire Public Radio)
All of that now sits alongside a charge that he violated a law specifically designed to protect people from having their intimate images used against them.
Fundraising and political fallout
After news of the arrest, Morse launched a crowdfunding appeal seeking $10,000 to pay his legal bills. On the page, he describes the accusations as severe enough to “end [his] career as a state representative” and “shatter our family’s peace forever.”(New Hampshire Public Radio)
So far, Republican leadership at the State House has not been widely quoted on whether Morse will be asked to resign, step down from committees, or sit out votes while the case moves through court. That silence is likely temporary; the combination of the charge and the underlying statute makes this a politically radioactive case.
New Hampshire’s House has 400 members; in practice, party leaders have limited tools beyond public pressure when it comes to pushing out a member who doesn’t want to leave. In other recent cases, lawmakers facing criminal charges have sometimes resigned under pressure, sometimes not — and sometimes only after conviction.
The law he’s charged under: New Hampshire’s “revenge porn” statute
New Hampshire’s ban on non-consensual sharing of intimate images was signed into law in 2016 by then-Gov. Maggie Hassan with bipartisan support.(New Hampshire Public Radio)
The law makes it a crime to:
- Intentionally distribute images of a person’s intimate parts or sexual activity
- Without that person’s consent
- When the person had a reasonable expectation the images would remain private
Violations can bring up to seven years in prison. The statute was designed specifically to address so-called “revenge porn” cases where ex-partners or others post or send nude images in anger, for humiliation, or as leverage.
If prosecutors move forward, Morse’s case is likely to test how aggressively county attorneys enforce the law against public officials, not just private citizens.
Who is Bryan Morse?
According to his legislative biography and public records:
- Morse is an electrical lineman by trade and a resident of Franklin.
- He served two years in the Army National Guard.(New Hampshire Public Radio)
- He was first elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives in 2024, representing Merrimack County’s 3rd District.(Wikipedia)
- His wife, Samantha Morse, was elected Merrimack County Register of Deeds in 2024.(New Hampshire Public Radio)
Separate from the current charge, past reporting and public records show Morse was arrested in 2015 on a concealed-carry gun charge and for willful concealment, before New Hampshire adopted “constitutional carry” in 2017.(Wikipedia)
That history, combined with his outspoken views on sex, gender, and school materials, makes this latest allegation even more politically explosive.
What happens next
Morse’s case will move first through district court, starting with the Dec. 18 arraignment in Nashua. Prosecutors will have to lay out enough of the alleged facts to support the felony charge under the 2016 statute. He’ll have options ranging from fighting the charge at trial, to negotiating a plea, to seeking dismissal on legal grounds.
Key questions now:
- Will House leadership publicly call for him to step aside?
- Will Republicans defend him, distance themselves, or go quiet?
- How will his tough-on-pornography and “protect privacy” rhetoric age in light of a revenge-porn charge?
Legal guilt or innocence will be decided in court, not on Facebook. Politically, though, the story is already doing damage. When a lawmaker builds a brand on defending privacy and shielding families from sexual content, and then gets arrested under a law designed to stop people from weaponizing intimate images, voters notice the gap.
For now, one thing is certain: this case won’t just be about one man’s actions. It will be a referendum on how seriously New Hampshire takes digital abuse, victim privacy, and hypocrisy in public office.
