SAUGUS – A judge ordered former Saugus Community Television host Michael Downing not to post about former selectman Stephen Horlick on social media, after police say Downing illegally posted the longtime selectman’s arrest record on Facebook.”It’s very upsetting to me, my friends and my family what Mr. Downing did,” Horlick said when reached by phone Thursday. “This has caused me nothing but unrest, caused me problems in my personal life and caused me problems with my business? and in the past election.”Downing, 50, of 39 Elm St., Saugus, was summonsed to Lynn District Court Thursday, where he was arraigned on two counts of unlawfully disseminating a criminal offender record information (CORI) and use of a CORI to harass a person.A plea of not guilty was entered on his behalf.The prosecutor did not discuss the facts of the case in open court Thursday.But court documents reveal Saugus Police learned Aug. 7 that Horlick’s CORI report had been posted on a Facebook page entitled “No More Horlick” that was administered by Downing, according to a report by Saugus Assistant Chief Ronald Giorgetti.The CORI report noted Horlick – a selectman in Saugus at the time but who was not reelected in November after approximately a decade in office – had been charged with assault and battery several times but the charges have been dismissed in each case.”?All the cases are marked as dismissed,'” another post on the page read, according to police. “?But…where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Add in his treatment toward (other individuals) and, hopefully, everyone can and will see him for what he truly is.'”The post had Downing’s name and photo attached, according to police.Downing received a subpoena and allegedly arranged in late September to meet with police. But police said Downing canceled the appointment via email Sept. 29. In the email, Downing admitted to posting the CORI report, which he said he got “in an anonymous envelope” in his mailbox, and said he had taken the post down, police said.But police said Downing posted the CORI report again Oct. 1 along with the statement “I’m already dirty from this mess so I might as well put it back up.”Essex Assistant District Attorney Justin Edwards did not request bail for Downing. But Edwards asked that Downing stay away and have no contact with Horlick and that Downing not post anything about Horlick on social media.Judge Ellen Flatley ordered Downing to abide by those conditions and scheduled him to return to court Jan. 15.Downing denied that he “posted an actual CORI” and blamed town politics for the incident being before the courts.”I think if I wasn’t who I was and I didn’t have the show previously, that this would be, that it would make it a non-issue,” Downing said in a phone interview after the hearing. “I’m confident that in the end, they are going to see that it was not a CORI that I posted, and that I will be found not guilty.”Police reported tracing the request for the CORI report and the printing of the CORI report to a Haverhill District Court employee. Police said the employee “could not provide an explanation of why Horlick was queried or a reason for querying Horlick.”Police have requested a hearing to determine whether the employee can be criminally charged.
