Ronald Paquin, a defrocked Catholic priest whose crimes were documented in the Oscar-winning film Spotlight, died in custody at age 83 on 11 September. Paquin had been imprisoned in Maine following convictions related to the sexual abuse of minors.
Paquin’s criminal history spanned decades. In 2002, he pleaded guilty to sexually abusing an altar server between 1989 and 1992 while assigned to St John the Baptist church in Haverhill, Massachusetts. His initial exposure came through investigative reporting by the Boston Globe’s Spotlight team, which won a Pulitzer Prize for uncovering the clergy abuse scandal within the Boston Catholic archdiocese. The scandal prompted the resignation of Archbishop Bernard Law at the end of 2002 and led to policy reforms across the U.S. Catholic Church. Paquin was released from Massachusetts prison in 2015.
Following Paquin’s release, Keith Townsend, now 52, came forward to report being abused by Paquin during camping trips to Kennebuckport, Maine, between 1985 and 1989, when Townsend was between 8 and 13 years old. A Maine grand jury indicted Paquin in 2017 on charges of gross sexual misconduct. Following a jury trial in November 2018, Paquin was convicted in connection with Townsend’s case. Maine Judge Wayne Douglas sentenced him in May 2019 to 16 additional years in prison.
Townsend stated that Paquin’s death represents an opportunity for victims to find closure and move forward. He emphasized that his motivation in pursuing legal action was to protect children and prevent others from experiencing similar abuse. Attorney Mitchell Garabedian, who has represented numerous abuse survivors and was depicted in the Spotlight film, noted that the movie’s portrayal of Paquin helped survivors recognize they were not alone in their experiences.
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