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Image: New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, via Wikipedia, Fair Use.
A former counselor at New Hampshire’s state youth detention center has gone on trial on sexual assault charges stemming from allegations that helped uncover decades of abuse at the facility.
Jeffrey Buskey, 60, is charged with 21 counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault involving a former detainee who entered the Youth Development Center in Manchester at age 14 in 1995, Holly Ramer of the Associated Press reported, per the Stamford Advocate.
Buskey has denied sexually abusing him.
The criminal trial began Sept. 14 and marks the latest development in a scandal that has led to more than 1,100 civil lawsuits, multiple arrests and the creation of a state settlement fund for former youth who say they were abused while in custody.
Allegations Helped Trigger Wider Investigation
The former detainee at the center of the trial was among the first people to publicly challenge New Hampshire over alleged abuse at the Youth Development Center, now known as the Sununu Youth Services Center.
His allegations led to the 2019 arrests of Buskey and another former employee and helped launch a broader criminal investigation into conditions at the facility.
Authorities ultimately arrested numerous former workers as additional allegations surfaced.
More than 1,100 people have since filed lawsuits alleging physical, sexual or emotional abuse at New Hampshire youth detention facilities over a period spanning roughly six decades.
Former Detainee Testifies at Criminal Trial
The former detainee, who has publicly identified himself as David Meehan, was the first witness called at Buskey’s trial.
Meehan testified that he initially viewed Buskey as a trusted adult who treated him kindly before the relationship allegedly became abusive.
Prosecutors argue that Buskey used his position of authority, along with violence and threats, to sexually assault Meehan repeatedly while he was confined at the facility.
Buskey’s defense disputes that account and argues that the allegations are not supported by corroborating evidence. His attorney has also pointed to inconsistencies in Meehan’s recollections and challenged his reliability as a witness.
Meehan Previously Won $38 Million Civil Verdict
Meehan also brought a civil lawsuit against the state.
A jury awarded him $38 million in May 2024 after finding in his favor, although the ultimate amount remains disputed because New Hampshire has sought to apply a statutory limit that would reduce the award to $475,000.
His case became one of the most closely watched lawsuits arising from the youth detention scandal and helped draw national attention to allegations involving the state’s juvenile justice system.
Multiple Former Workers Have Faced Criminal Cases
Buskey is not the only former New Hampshire youth detention employee to face criminal charges.
Three former workers — Bradley Asbury, Stanley Watson and James Woodlock — have been convicted in related cases.
Other prosecutions have produced acquittals, mistrials or dropped charges. Several additional defendants have either died, been found incompetent to stand trial or remain awaiting further proceedings.
The mixed outcomes illustrate the difficulty of prosecuting allegations involving conduct said to have occurred decades earlier, even as civil litigation continues to expand.
New Hampshire Plans to Replace Youth Detention Center
The facility at the center of the scandal has changed significantly over the years.
Once home to more than 100 young people, the Sununu Youth Services Center now typically holds fewer than a dozen youth accused or convicted of serious violent offenses.
New Hampshire lawmakers have approved plans to close the existing facility and replace it with a smaller youth detention center at a different location.
For former detainees, however, the legal fallout from alleged abuse at the old facility is far from over.
Civil lawsuits, criminal prosecutions and settlement claims continue to examine not only the conduct of individual employees, but also whether state officials failed for years to recognize or stop abuse inside the juvenile detention system.
Learn More About Juvenile Detention Abuse Lawsuits
The attorneys SurvivorsRights.com currently partners with are focused on Pennsylvania juvenile detention abuse lawsuits and Illinois juvenile detention abuse lawsuits.
If you experienced sexual abuse in a New Hampshire youth detention facility, we may still be able to refer you to an attorney or law firm that handles these claims.
