First YDC Criminal Trial Begins in New Hampshire

When prosecutor Audriana Mekula asked David Meehan what YDC was to him, he answered "Hell." Jeffrey Buskey, 60, of Litchfield, went on trial September 14, 2026, in Manchester on 21 counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault involving four boys at the Youth Development Center in the late 1990s. Meehan, 14 when he arrived in 1995 and now 45, filed the first of more than 1,100 civil lawsuits; his claims led to 2019 arrests and a wider probe. What is contested: Associate Attorney General Thomas Velardi said Meehan disclosed the abuse to his wife in 2017 after fearing a son might be sent there, calling the ordeal a true horror story. Defense attorney Delia McCarthy said the claims are "an unbelievable story, contradicted by the records and the people who were there and told by an unreliable, deeply troubled storyteller," and that an echo-chamber hallway made undetected assault implausible. Buskey pleaded not guilty and told police he was always nice and trying to help. A 2024 civil jury awarded Meehan $38 million; the state seeks $475,000, with the New Hampshire Supreme Court deciding which award stands. The trial continues. Lawmakers approved closing the facility. Other defendants have seen convictions, an acquittal, a mistrial, dropped charges, incompetence, and a death awaiting trial.