Keith Townsend, 52, reflected on the recent death of Ronald Paquin, a defrocked Catholic priest imprisoned for sexually abusing minors. Paquin died in custody at age 83 on September 11 at Mountain View correctional facility in Charleston, Maine. Townsend, who successfully pursued criminal charges against Paquin, said he hopes the clergyman’s death provides closure for victims and their families.
Paquin was central to the clergy sexual abuse scandal involving the Boston archdiocese. In 2002, he pleaded guilty to sexually abusing an altar server between 1989 and 1992 at St. John the Baptist church in Haverhill, Massachusetts. His case was exposed through investigative reporting by the Boston Globe’s Spotlight team, which won a Pulitzer Prize. The scandal prompted the resignation of Archbishop Bernard Law and prompted policy reforms across the Catholic Church in the United States. Paquin was initially imprisoned in Massachusetts but was released in 2015.
Townsend came forward after learning of Paquin’s release, reporting that he had been abused by Paquin during camping trips to Maine between 1985 and 1989, when he was between 8 and 13 years old. Townsend stated that Paquin provided him drugs and alcohol during the abuse, which contributed to his later struggles with substance abuse and incarceration. A Maine grand jury indicted Paquin in 2017 on charges of gross sexual misconduct. Following a jury trial in November 2018, Paquin was found guilty regarding Townsend’s allegations. Judge Wayne Douglas sentenced him in May 2019 to 16 additional years in prison.
Townsend described his journey of recovery, overcoming addiction and building a family. He said he sought Paquin’s imprisonment primarily to protect children. Attorney Mitchell Garabedian, who represented multiple abuse victims, noted that the 2015 film Spotlight, which dramatized the Globe’s investigation, provided survivors with awareness that they were not alone. Townsend expressed gratitude that his efforts resulted in Paquin’s imprisonment and said the outcome saved lives.
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