Former Manchester Youth Counselors Indicted On Sexual Assault

MANCHESTER, NH — Two former counselors of Manchester's Youth Development Center were indicted on dozens of aggravated felonious sexual assault charges against a minor. Jeffrey Buskey, 52, of Dorcester, Massachusetts, was indicted on 56 counts charging him with sexually assaulting a minor between October 1997 and September 1998. Steven Murphy, 50, of Danvers, MA, was indicted on 26 counts charging him with aggravated felonious sexual assault against a minor, during the same time period.

According to the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office, the assaults happened while Buskey and Murphy worked as counselors at the youth detention facility, against a minor that was in their custody at the time.

The indictments were issued by the grand jury at Hillsborough County Superior Court on Thursday. The Attorney General's Office is prosecuting the case due to the complexity of the matter and the fact that the case involves reported criminal conduct by state agency employees. The office is also launching a comprehensive, multi-faceted investigation of the Youth Development Center and its employees, the Attorney General's Office stated. The office will investigate whether any other minors were assaulted or abused at the center, and whether there was any other conduct that endangered the welfare of children.

Jeffrey Meyers, the commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, called the charges shocking and unconscionable, and called on justice being served for the victims.

"The department has cooperated and will continue to cooperate with the investigation and prosecution of these charges," Meyers said. "The department has worked very hard to assure the safety of youth at SYSC, including meeting the federal guidelines under the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). SYSC complies with PREA guidelines. The policies and systems that are in place at the current SYSC facility are designed to protect youth who are under our care. All of the leadership and staff at SYSC and the department are committed to the safety of our youth and to our continuing efforts to prevent the conduct that occurred some 25 years ago."

Gov. Chris Sununu added that he was confident that the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office would aggressively pursue the case.

"The incidents that are alleged to have occurred over 20 years ago are sickening and the State of New Hampshire stands ready to assist and cooperate in any investigation that will bring these detestable perpetrators to justice," Sununu said, adding, "zero tolerance means zero tolerance."

Anyone who was physically or sexually harmed at the detention center is encouraged to contact a local crisis center for confidential support. The statewide sexual assault hotline can be reached at 1-800-277-5570.

Anyone with information regarding criminal conduct at the Youth Development Center is asked to call investigator James Kinney of the Attorney General's Office at 603-271-1258 or email him at james.kinney@doj.nh.gov.

An indictment is not an indication of guilt; rather, it means a jury has found sufficient evidence to warrant a trial.