On Monday, the first YDC criminal trial begins against ex-police officer who also worked at two colleges

By DAMIEN FISHER, InDepthNH.org

Victor Malavet was initially investigated in his civil service for the alleged abuse of a young girl, later he worked as a police officer and then as a security officer at two different universities in New Hampshire.

Malavet, 61, of Gilford, is the first suspect to face trial in the Sununu Youth Services Center (formerly YDC) abuse scandal. Malavet's trial begins Monday in Merrimack Superior Court in Concord.

Malavet is accused of multiple counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a teenager who was held at the Concord YDC in 2001 while working there as a staff member. He has pleaded not guilty to all counts.

At the time of the alleged abuse, Malavet was under investigation by the YDC administration. According to testimony at a previous court hearing, colleagues reported an inappropriate relationship between Malavet and the girl.

The alleged victim allegedly lied during the 2001 investigation to protect Malavet. Although the 2001 investigation turned up nothing, Malavet was transferred to the Youth Development Center (YDC) in Manchester to separate him from the alleged victim.

Richmond City Manager Susan Harrington confirmed to InDepthNH.org that Malavet would later get a job as a police officer in the small Monadnock-area town.

“I can confirm that on November 22, 2010, a certain Victor Malavet … was hired as a part-time police officer with the Richmond Police Department. I cannot confirm his exact retirement date,” Harrington said in an email.

Richmond no longer has a municipal police department after voters disbanded the agency in 2019 and opted for a patrol contract with the Cheshire County Sheriff's Department. The officer in charge of the Richmond department in 2010 was Andrew Wood. He did not respond to a request for comment from InDepthNH.org.

Wood is currently awaiting trial himself on charges that he stole taxpayer money while he was Hancock police chief. Wood is alleged to have billed Hancock for time he either wasn't working or was working at his second job in Richmond.

Malavet served as campus safety officer at Keene State College from 2006 to 2015 before accepting a position as campus safety officer at Lakes Region Community College in Laconia.

Shannon Reid, executive director of government affairs and communications for the Community College System of New Hampshire, told InDepthNH.org that Malavet worked as a part-time officer until June 2017. When he was hired, Malavet passed the college's background check, Reid said.

“Back then, our policy for new hires was to do a reference check and a sex offender registry check,” Reid said. “Today, we have a newer policy that includes a criminal background check.”

Malavet is not the only YDC suspect who later worked in the police force. Jeffrey Buskey, who is accused of committing hundreds of brutal rapes on a single teenager, worked as an officer for the Sanbornton Police Department. InDepthNH.org is currently fighting in court to obtain Buskey's disciplinary record from Sanbornton.

Buskey was fired from Sanbornton in 2006 because a check bounced.

The state has failed to bring any of the YDC suspects to justice. Since the Attorney General's Office created the YDC task force in 2019, only 11 of hundreds of alleged perpetrators identified by victims have been charged. As of 2021, when 11 men were charged, no charges have been filed against any of the suspects.

Since the indictment, the case against suspect Frank Davis has been dropped because he was declared unfit to stand trial. Last month, another suspect, 68-year-old Gordon Thomas Searles, died.