Community Corner
Stories of the Year: Sex Offenders Arrested on New Charges
Join us as we count down some of the most read stories in Merrimack in 2013.
It's the end of the year and that means it's time to count down some of the top stories to hit Merrimack Patch this year (local stories of the year below).
It's been a newsy year around the country as Sandy Hook students returned to school in a new location following the tragic shooting at the end of 2012. In April, two bomb blast created chaos and terror at the finish line of the Boston Marathon killing three and injuring hundreds who lost limbs, suffered serious burns and shrapnel wounds and a plethora of other injuries. Days later, an MIT police officer was killed and his friend was critically injured late that night in a shootout with the bombing suspects.
We saw a country unite behind the city whose baseball team, months later earned its third World Series win in nine years.
Outside of New England, we saw George Zimmerman acquitted of murdering Trayvon Martin, and Jodi Arias was found guilty of murdering boyfriend Travis Alexander. A royal baby was born in July and the President Obama-led Affordable Care Act went into effect.
Over the days leading up to the end of the year, we'll choose a story or topic a day that has generated the most buzz in town this year. Check back each morning as we bring you back through 2013.
Two Sex Offenders Living in Merrimack Arrested Again
Two registered sex offenders living in Merrimack were arrested in March and July after allegedly committing new offenses against children.In March, Keith Burns, 40, of 11 Camp Sargent Road, was arrested on charges related to allegations that he posed as a teenage boy to solicit nude photos from a 13-year-old girl who lives in Oregon. He was charged with seven counts of possession of child pornography and one count of uses of computer services prohibited.
Burns was indicted in Hillsborough County Superior Court in June on five felony charges and then, earlier this month, Burns case was turned over to federal court.
He was indicted on Dec. 4 in federal court following a temporary hold on his case as the U.S. Attorney's office decided whether to indict.
Burns, who has a lengthy history dating back to 1993, had served five years in prison on a 2003 charge of indecent exposure and lewdness. He'd been out of prison almost as long when he was arrested on March 7.
In July, Clyde Earl Shatney, 51, of 42 Bean Road, a convicted sex offender, was held on $200,000 cash bail after he allegedly sexually assaulted a 13-year-old boy who police say is the son of a family friend. He was charged Friday with four counts of felonious sexual assault and assault on a minor. Shatney has a lengthy criminal history dating back to 1983.
In September, Shatney was indicted by a Hillsborough County grand jury in September on four counts of felonious sexual assault. According to court paperwork, Shatney performed sexual acts on the teen and forced the teen to perform sexual acts on him on July 19.
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