Jury acquits ex-youth center worker on 3 sex assault charges, deadlocks on 5 others

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — One of the first men charged with abusing children at New Hampshire’s state-run youth detention center was acquitted of three sexual assault charges Wednesday by a jury that was unable to reach a verdict on five other charges.

Stephen Murphy, 56, of Danvers, Massachusetts, was one of two former Youth Development Center workers charged in 2019 with assaulting a teenage boy at the Manchester facility in the 1990s. The ensuing scandal has expanded to include an unprecedented criminal investigation, nine additional arrests, over 1,100 lawsuits, and the establishment of a settlement fund to compensate victims.

It was the second trial for Murphy. His first, involving another alleged victim, ended in a mistrial in January. He still faces charges related to two other former residents of the facility, now called the Sununu Youth Services Center, and prosecutors could retry him on the five charges on which no verdict was returned Wednesday.

“Although we believe that a finding of not guilty on all charges was reflected by the evidence, we will be prepared to fight the remaining charges again in the future should the state seek to continue its prosecution of Stephen in this case,” defense attorney Charles Keefe said in an email. “Stephen is happy to go home to his wife and daughter, and he is incredibly grateful for the support of his friends, family and community at large through this process.”

In the latest trial, Murphy was charged with eight counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault, alleging that he forced or coerced David Meehan into performing sexual acts in 1997 and 1998. The Associated Press generally does not identify victims of sexual assault unless they have come forward publicly, as Meehan has done.

Murphy, who later worked as a clubhouse attendant for the Boston Red Sox, testified last week, denying the allegations.

“Absolutely not,” he said when asked if he did anything to Meehan. “Those are completely false accusations.”

During the trial, Keefe emphasized inconsistencies in Meehan’s statements to police, prosecutors and his testimony in multiple trials and sought to portray him as delusional and prone to embracing conspiracy theories.

Prosecutors argued Murphy used sexual violence to establish dominance over a child he was supposed to be protecting and mentoring.

“As a grown man, there is no way I can stand for this,” Meehan testified. “I’ve had to pay for everything I’ve ever done wrong – we all do. What makes this situation any different?”

In the other criminal cases, three men have been convicted: Bradley Asbury, Stanley Watson and James Woodlock. Jurors acquitted Jonathan Brand and deadlocked in the case of Victor Malavet, leading to a mistrial. Charges were dropped against Trevor Middleton, Frank Davis was declared incompetent to stand trial, and Gordon Searles died while awaiting trial. Jeffrey Buskey and Lucien Poulette are awaiting trial.

Meehan’s lawsuit seeking to hold the state accountable is the only civil case that has gone to trial so far. A jury awarded him $38 million last year, but the state Supreme Court has yet to rule on whether the total should be slashed to $475,000 under a state law that limits such damages. Testifying in Woodlock’s trial in September, Meehan said he has received an advance of more than $2 million from a third-party underwriter that he will not have to return regardless of the outcome.