MEREDITH, N.H. — The trial for a man accused of restraining a teenage boy during an incident of rape and abuse at a New Hampshire youth center in the late 1990s is scheduled to commence on Tuesday. This case marks the second criminal trial resulting from a sweeping investigation launched in 2019 into past abuse at the Sununu Youth Services Center located in Manchester. The defendant, Bradley Asbury, who is currently 70 years old, is one of nine men facing criminal charges who worked at either the Manchester center or a related facility in Concord.
Asbury, alongside a co-worker, is alleged to have held down the boy in the dormitory where he served as the house leader in 1997, enabling a third staff member to commit an act of rape while a fourth forced the victim to perform a sexual act. At the time, the victim was around 13 years old. Asbury had previously been fired from the Concord facility three years before these events due to accusations of physical and psychological abuse. However, he was rehired and transferred to Manchester, where he continued to work until 2001.
Facing two counts of being an accomplice to aggravated sexual assault, Asbury confronts the possibility of a maximum sentence of 20 years for each charge should he be found guilty. His attorney did not immediately provide a comment regarding the case, and prosecutors have chosen not to disclose details since it is an ongoing legal matter.
In an earlier case concerning another staff member, Victor Malavet, the trial ended in September with a mistrial due to juror indecision over allegations he raped a girl at the Concord facility. The timeline for a new trial in Malavet’s case remains undetermined.
The investigation has also resulted in numerous civil lawsuits. More than 1,100 former residents have reported experiences of physical, sexual, or emotional abuse occurring over a span of six decades. A notable civil trial concluded with a jury awarding David Meehan $38 million in May, based on his claims of abuse in the 1990s, though this verdict is presently contested as the state aims to reduce it to $475,000.
The civil trial involving Meehan provided some context for the current proceedings, with testimony from Asbury’s alleged victim, Michael Gilpatrick. He described how Asbury and three other staff members were known among residents as “the hit squad.” Gilpatrick recounted, “The four of them used to roll together… they would go door to door and beat every single one of us.”
Gilpatrick, who spent three years at the Manchester center in the 1990s, revealed that his stay followed multiple runs from group homes, a burglary, and an attempt to sustain himself on the streets. He detailed how the assault by Asbury occurred after he had run away while on furlough. Gilpatrick had already endured several days in an empty room wearing only his underwear when staff guided him to the house leader’s office and then to a stairwell.
The traumatic experience left him feeling detached, stating, “It felt like I hovered over and watched it… My body just went blank.” He characterized Asbury as a truly harmful figure, expressing that Asbury wielded significant authority over both the children and the staff.
In a 2000 state investigation into abuse and neglect at the youth center, Asbury had claimed no such issues existed, stating, “That stuff does not take place. It’s not tolerated… We don’t have time to abuse them.”
The trial not only addresses individual accountability but also underscores the complex situation of the state defending itself against civil suits while simultaneously prosecuting criminal cases. During the previously held civil trial, Asbury was depicted as a committed employee recognized for facilitating volunteer efforts among the teens; however, the current trial is expected to present a far more sinister portrayal of his actions and character.