DERRY, N.H. — A state representative from Derry, New Hampshire, is accused of assaulting another man after they allegedly directed an adult film together and the lawmaker didn't like the finished product.
New Hampshire State Representative Frank Sapareto has been in office for seven years and is up for re-election on Tuesday.
"It's despicable, disgusting stuff this guy is doing," said one Derry resident.
In June, Sapareto claims he was in Simi Valley, California, where he met Jonathan Carter, a filmmaker.
Sapareto claims he was under the impression he and Carter would make a "tourism video" together.
Malini Basu: "In June, were you in LA filming a porn video?"
Sapareto: "No, of course not. We had a tourism, he pitched it as a tourism video, [where we'd] take videos of tourists and put it online."
The filmmaker's attorney sent Boston 25 News a still from the movie, depicting a woman being grabbed by someone who looks to be Sapareto.
This browser does not support the video element.
Malini Basu: "Is this you?"
Sapareto: "That's my face, part of my arm, but he got a video and this is shooting video."
Basu: "It looks like you're grabbing her chest."
Sapareto: "There is an arm there that does that, this is east to Photoshop."
In a lawsuit, Carter claims Sapareto didn't like the finished product of the adult film, which triggered the alleged assault.
Basu:" Were you making a porn video at all?"
Sapareto: "No, there is nothing at all, if you want to call the private things I have with my relationships with that, there is none of that."
According to a police report obtained by Boston 25 News, Sapareto allegedly drove to Carter's house and allegedly assaulted him.
Basu: "You never punched him over the head?"
Sapareto: "No."
Basu: "He's making it up?"
Sapareto: "How else can he bring in the salacious stuff before an election? I was there, I dropped the stuff off, I shook hands and left."
"Accusing my client of doctoring the video’s is absurd, that level of denial is also a credibility killer when it comes to denying the attack," said Eric Dubin, Carter's attorney.
Sapareto is calling the whole incident "plain ol' dirty politics."
"You can be a victim, whether you’re a male or a female," said Sapareto. "There are scams across the country."
Sapareto goes on to say that he was at the filmmaker's apartment to drop off $5,000 worth of equipment. Police did pull him over and declined to press charges because they had no proof of the assault.