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25 Investigates: Aidan Kearney, blogger known as ‘Turtleboy,’ indicted on 16 new criminal counts

DEDHAM, Mass. — A Norfolk County Grand Jury on Wednesday indicted Aidan Kearney, the Massachusetts blogger known as “Turtleboy,” on 16 new criminal counts today in Norfolk County Superior Court.

In today’s indictment, Holden resident Kearney is facing eight charges of intimidation of a witness, three counts of conspiracy to intimidate a witness, and five counts of picketing a witness.

This indictment moves Kearney’s district court cases to the superior court level. The new charges were detailed in court documents obtained by Boston 25 News:

25 Investigates sources are told Kearney will be back in Norfolk Superior Court to face those charges on Dec. 27.

In late November, a judge denied Kearney’s request to return electronics that were confiscated from him during his arrest in October.

Following his arrest, Kearney was arraigned in Stoughton District Court on charges including eight counts of intimidation of a witness, juror, police, or court official and one count of conspiracy in connection with the ongoing Karen Read murder case after the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office appointed a special prosecutor Kenneth Mello, of Fall River, to investigate his alleged actions.

Read is charged with second-degree murder in the death of her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe. She is accused of backing over O’Keefe and leaving him to die in a January 2022 blizzard outside a home in Canton.

Mello said Kearney went to great lengths to harass witnesses — often filming himself as he would try to confront them or call them at their homes, children’s sports games, or places of work. He’s also accused of sharing personal information online — like a state trooper’s phone number — while saying he would never stop.

Kearney also allegedly had a police dispatcher look up three license plates of people connected to the Read case and the wife of the MSP trooper investigating it.

Kearney was ultimately released on personal recognizance.

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This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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