Peabody Family Victimized by Alleged Thieving Salem Nanny

A Peabody family is one of at least two victims prosecutors claim were robbed by a 23-year-old Salem woman working as a nanny.

Melissa Shaktman, of 44 Butler St. was arraigned in on Jan. 27 on multiple charges of larceny and receiving stolen property. Prosecutors claim she stole more than $40,000 in jewelry from the Peabody family and another family in Manchester-by-the-Sea while watching her clients' children in their homes.

Shaktman pleaded not guilty to the charges, although according to news reports, she had admitted to taking some jewelry while being questioned by police. Bail was set at $5,000.

Authorities say Shaktman pocketed numerous valuables, including a diamond bracelet and diamond earrings, which were each valued at more than $30,000. The Peabody victims lost $8,000 in jewelry.

According to news reports, the first victim was a mother in Manchester-by-the-Sea who discovered she was missing several family heirlooms not long after she fired Shaktman. And even while police were questioning Shaktman in that case, she got a new babysitting job with a Peabody family.

Police said a number of the stolen items were found at pawn shops in Peabody, Danvers and Salem, but some items had already been sold again. In those cases, Shaktman apparently only received a small fraction of what the jewelry was actually worth.

Prosecutors said Shaktman was hired through the popular online babysitter search site, Sittercity.com, where she was known as "Melissa S." The company has not been implicated in any wrongdoing and says it immediately terminated Shaktman's account and notified any users she may have contacted after police notified the company of the situation.

Shaktman is due back in court on Feb. 24.