A convicted child rapist and former priest died in prison.
Ronald Paquin, 83, was serving a 16-year sentence in Maine for sexually abusing an altar boy there in the 1980s.
He had already served more than 10 years in prison in Massachusetts for a similar crime.
Paquin worked in parishes in Methuen and Haverhill.
He was one of the first priests convicted in the church sex abuse scandal.
Attorney Mitchell Garabedian, who represented more than 25 clients sexually abused by Paquin between 1973 and 1990, commented on Paquin’s passing, saying “With all due respect, society has not lost a great human being.”
“The death of Fr. Paquin brings a measure of relief to many clergy sexual abuse victims and survivors because they feel as though Fr. Paquin will no longer be able to sexually abuse children and destroy innocent lives,” Garabedian said.
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)