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Paul Shanley's Landlord: Sex Offender Registry Is 'State Sponsored Prejudice'

WARE (CBS) - The landlord for convicted pedophile priest, Paul Shanley, says he is trying to give sex offenders a helping hand when it comes to housing.

Joel Pentlarge, 67, himself a level 3 sex offender, says he did not hesitate when his former attorney, who now represents Shanley, 86, reached out to him about finding the "Street Priest" a place to live.

"I find him really quite engaging. You know, he's an older gay man so that's something that I can relate to," Pentlarge said.

Joel Pentlarge
Joel Pentlarge (WBZ-TV)

Shanley, who was convicted of repeatedly raping a boy over a period of years, now lives in one of Pentlarge's properties on Pulaski Street in Ware. He is one of four level three sex offenders in the building.

He will not reveal how many sex abusers he is housing, but according to the Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry Board, seven level three offenders live on properties owned by Pentlarge.

The disbarred attorney says he offers them housing because he wants to help reintegrate them into society.

Paul Shanley
Paul Shanley. (Photo credit: Mass. Sex Offender Registry)

"The one thing I can do to reduce the likelihood of someone reoffending is to provide them with a safe place to live," Pentlarge said.

Pentlarge pleaded guilty in 2000 to raping four boys, ages 12 to 15. He served 3 and half years behind bars. Since then, he says he has worked hard not to reoffend.

"It clearly was wrong. It clearly was horrible. And not just to the four boys involved, to my family, to the people I was working with," he said.

He has also advocated for the abolition of the sex offender registry. He calls it "state sponsored prejudice" that does not accurately measure whether an abuser will reoffend.

Shanley
Joel Pentlarge and Paul Shanley in Ware (WBZ-TV)

His tenants are just some of the 24 level three sex offenders currently living in Ware, a number far greater than surrounding towns. Police Chief Shawn Crevier says that number does not make Ware any less safe.

"We have a great police department. A close knit community," Crevier said.

Pentlarge says his goal is to have offenders and non-offenders living side by side.

"I'm not looking to create a new sex offender ghetto. The name of the game is reintegrating people into society," he said.

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