A New Hampshire jury on Tuesday has found a former youth center worker guilty of being an accomplice to aggravated sexual assault.
What Happened?
Bradley Asbury, now 70, was found guilty on Tuesday of two counts of being an accomplice to aggravated sexual assault after he allegedly restrained 14-year-old Michael Gilpatrick during a brutal assault in 1998.
Asbury, then a house leader at the Sununu Youth Services Center in Manchester, New Hampshire, allegedly held the boy down on a staircase with the help of another colleague while a third staffer raped the teen and a fourth forced him to perform a sex act.
While sentencing is yet to be determined, Asbury faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years for each count.
David Lane/Union Leader/ AP
What Did the Trial Reveal?
The trial, which spanned four days, brought to light the attack of Gilpatrick, now 41. His testimony, pivotal to the case, recalled the abuse he endured with Gilpatrick testifying, “I can see it happening, but I can’t do anything. I was just not there. But there.”
Describing an out-of-body experience during the attack, Gilpatrick spoke of the years of trauma following the attack as he struggled to cope with what happened and his pursuit for justice.
“God is good, and the truth prevailed,” Gilpatrick said tearfully outside the courthouse, as he hugged his family.
Meanwhile, Asbury’s defense attorney, David Rothstein, characterized the accusations as baseless, arguing that Gilpatrick’s claims lacked corroboration. He accused the victim of fabricating a narrative influenced by financial motives tied to pending civil litigation.
However, prosecutors maintained that Gilpatrick’s account of the key events remained consistent, despite minor memory gaps, as state Assistant Attorney General Adam Woods condemned the attack.
“Instead of guiding Mike, counseling him, and showing him a better way to live, these men shattered his trust,” Woods said.
A Broader Impact
This was the second criminal trial to stem from a broad 2019 investigation into long standing abuse at the Sununu Youth Services Center. Asbury is among 11 men who worked there or at an associated facility in Concord who were arrested.
The center faces allegations of physical, sexual and emotional abuse spanning over six decades.
More than 1,100 former residents have filed lawsuits, with one jury awarding $38 million to a victim earlier this year in a separate civil case, though that verdict faces legal challenges as the state seeks to reduce it to $475,000.
“We hope that this brings the victim some relief,” Woods said of the verdict.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
