The quiet of a Stoneham neighborhood was pierced by the arrival of FBI agents and local police, as they set upon a home on Hancock Street yesterday. The residence, identified by neighbors and property records, belongs to the mother of James McCarty, a convicted sex offender known for a prior conviction of distributing child pornography and a recent trespassing incident at South Elementary School. As reported by CBS Boston, law enforcement spent approximately six hours conducting the court-ordered search.
According to authorities, McCarty was intercepted last March while trying to enter the school grounds armed with a knife. The potential threat was diffused as they found the 39-year-old experiencing a mental health crisis. Following this incident, McCarty was hospitalized for evaluation and school officials faced scrutiny for the delayed notification to parents—their silence persisting for five days, NBC10 Boston notes.
The shockwaves from March’s school scare continue, as Stoneham parents voice their disquiet, with Superintendent David Ljungberg at the helm of their discontent. Despite calls for his resignation, Ljungberg remains in place, though the school committee offered an apology for the distress caused. The investigation into McCarty now includes aspects outside the school incident, with a look at another undisclosed out-of-state incident.
"Shocked living right next door to him," teen neighbor Zoey Pacious conveyed to CBS Boston. "Being a teenager myself next to him here, creepy." "Should be safer around here obviously," said neighbor Jeff Ditonno, "But just for everyone to be safe you know." Following the FBI's six-hour presence, questions linger about what was unearthed within the walls of the Hancock Street home.
No further details have emerged from the FBI regarding the ongoing investigation or the items, if any, that were seized during the search. However, the events have left the community on edge, as Stoneham police reassure that there is currently no danger to the public. James McCarty's past designation as a level one sex offender adds an additional layer of concern, though he is no longer required to register. The tight-lipped handling of the case by officials has done little to alleviate community concerns about safety and the need for transparency.
