Former juvenile detention center leader in New Hampshire, Bradley Asbury, was convicted on two counts of being an accomplice to aggravated sexual assault. The verdict came after a four-day trial and three days of deliberation. The case was part of an investigation into abuse at the state-run Sununu Youth Services Center in Manchester, now known as the Youth Development Center.
The plaintiff, 41-year-old Michael Gilpatrick, testified that Asbury and others restrained him on a staircase when he was 14. Asbury was found guilty of aiding in the rape of Gilpatrick. Gilpatrick expressed relief at the verdict, saying “God is good and the truth prevailed.”
This was the second criminal trial related to abuse at the youth detention center. Currently, there are nearly 1,300 cases brought against the state of New Hampshire by former residents claiming abuse.
Asbury is one of 11 men arrested for alleged sex crimes against children in either the Manchester or Concord facilities. He had been fired for abuse before being rehired. He was part of a group of six employees known as the “hit squad” for their abusive tactics.
In total, 150 former staffers are accused of harming 230 children over several decades. The verdict in Asbury’s trial is a step towards justice for the victims of abuse at the Sununu Youth Services Center.
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