Teacher Accused Of Kidnap Tries

A highly respected teacher from an exclusive New England preparatory school was arrested and charged with three counts of attempted kidnapping, police in Farmington, N.H., said Thursday.

The teacher, David Cobb, 59, an English teacher at Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass., was arrested at his summer home in Gilford, N.H., early Wednesday morning.

He was released Wednesday night on $100,000 bail, although he did not enter a plea at a court hearing earlier Wednesday. Another court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 1.

Police said he tried unsuccessfully to lure two children into his car Monday.

Police Chief Barry Carr said two 14-year-olds, a girl and a boy, were walking together when Cobb approached them and offered them what Carr described as “not very much” money to get into his car. The two teen-agers refused and later told their parents what had happened, then the parents called the police.

Police said they were given a “perfect description” of Cobb by the two teen-agers. Chief Carr said officers used the description to recognize and approach Cobb on Tuesday when he was spotted with a third child.

When Cobb was seen with the third child, a 12-year-old boy, the police separated the two and asked the child what had happened. Carr said the arrest was delayed because “We wanted to make sure what we had.”

Cobb has taught English at Phillips Academy since 1968, serving as chairman of the English department from 1990 to 1995. He lives at the academy.