Man ordered to donate $100 to Boston hospital

LEOMINSTER, Mass. – A Merrimack man who allegedly burned his 3-year-old son in a fireworks accident July 4 must perform community service and contribute to burn programs.

Charges of unlawful fireworks possession and reckless endangerment of a child against Sean M. Maloney, 38, of 592 Daniel Webster Highway, No. 3, were continued without a finding for one year Thursday in Leominster District Court, according to the The Fitchburg Sentinel and Enterprise.

Maloney’s terms of probation include a $100 contribution to the Shriners Hospital in Boston, which treats pediatric burn victims, and 25 hours of community service at a burn hospital, fire-prevention program or school, the paper said.

Police in Leominster said during a family party there, Maloney was lighting fireworks in a bucket, which fell over and injured Maloney’s then-3-year-old son.

Two fireworks hit the boy, who was 20 to 30 feet away in a swing. He suffered burns over 20 percent of his body, fire officials.

Maloney purchased the fireworks in New Hampshire, but it’s illegal to own fireworks in Massachusetts.

Officials told the Sentinel that the boy is doing well.

Maloney pleaded guilty to a separate child endangerment charge in Merrimack at the end of July, following a call to police that Maloney’s son had been left in an unattended van near his home.

Police said the van was running, the windows were up, the air conditioning on and the doors unlocked. The child was not hurt or in distress.

At the time, the court ordered Maloney to have only supervised contact with his son.