A sexual assault trial is beginning in New Hampshire against Jeffrey Buskey, a former youth counselor whose arrest over seven years ago sparked one of the largest youth detention scandals in U.S. history. Buskey, now 60, is facing 21 counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault involving David Meehan, who was 14 when he was placed at the Youth Development Center in Manchester in 1995. The facility, now known as the Sununu Youth Services Center, has been the subject of extensive legal and public scrutiny. Meehan was among the first of more than 1,100 individuals to file lawsuits alleging physical, sexual, or emotional abuse that occurred over a span of six decades. His claims led to the arrest of Buskey and another former employee in 2019, initiating an unprecedented criminal investigation that resulted in nine additional arrests, a settlement fund for victims, and significant reforms to the system. During a civil trial in 2024, Meehan described how Buskey, who was initially perceived as a trusted figure, gradually transformed into an abuser. He testified that Buskey gave him soda and snacks, allowed him to play basketball with a local high school team, and then subjected him to nearly daily rapes. A jury awarded Meehan $38 million in compensation, but the state is challenging this amount, seeking to reduce it to $475,000. In a recently filed police interview transcript, Buskey struggled to recall his home address from the 1990s and had difficulty spelling the last name of his then-fiancée. However, he mentioned Meehan’s name without being prompted and denied the allegations, claiming they had a “great relationship.” Buskey said he was always “nice to the kid” and “trying to help him.” The Sununu Youth Services Center, named after former New Hampshire Governor John H. Sununu, once housed up to 100 children but now typically serves fewer than a dozen. The facility currently only houses youth accused or convicted of the most serious violent crimes. Lawmakers have approved plans to close the center and replace it with a smaller facility in a new location. Meanwhile, several other individuals have faced criminal charges related to the scandal. Three men—Bradley Asbury, Stanley Watson, and James Woodlock—have been convicted. Others, including Jonathan Brand and Victor Malavet, had their cases end in mistrial or deadlock. Charges were dropped against Trevor Middleton, and Frank Davis was found incompetent to stand trial. Gordon Searles died while awaiting trial. Stephen Murphy, who has pending charges, had one trial end in mistrial and another where he was acquitted on three charges with a hung jury on five others. Lucien Poulette is still awaiting trial. The ongoing legal proceedings reflect the complex and long-lasting impact of the scandal, which has brought attention to the need for reform in youth detention systems across the country.