A recently convicted Rhode Island sex offender was working at a Massachusetts-based mental health facility until his prison sentence.
Stephen Souza, 44, worked as a director at North Suffolk Community Services, based in Chelsea, for several years until he stopped showing up for work a couple of weeks ago. He is now in a medium-security prison in Cranston, Rhode Island, a spokesperson for the Rhode Island Supreme Court confirmed.
“I was surprised that someone could fit through the radar cracks,” an employee who asked to remain anonymous told NBC10 Boston. “I’m looking for management to respond, they don’t have the answers yet.”
Souza initially faced 34 counts of possession and production of child pornography in Washington County Superior Court, but was ultimately found guilty on 11 of those charges last month. NBC10 Boston legal analyst Michael Coyne said those charges likely wouldn’t come up when searching Massachusetts Offender History Information (CORI).
“A Massachusetts CORI (criminal background) check probably would not have shown charges coming from other states. That’s rarely the case,” Coyne said. “And for a position of this type, in all likelihood they should have done a much more thorough search of where the individual had worked and lived in the past.”
Some employees are now concerned about privacy.
“These are mental health centers and people bring their children to these centers,” said the anonymous North Suffolk Community Services employee. “I just hope this doesn’t seem like a cover-up because it’s not right.”
“The company has a lot of explaining to do and some important questions regarding liability and negligence,” Coyne said.
Souza is now serving a two-and-a-half year prison sentence, followed by seven and a half years of probation.
North Suffolk Community Services Interim Executive Director Judi Lemoine issued a statement noting that Souza’s conviction stems from charges prior to his employment.
“This individual has been fired. Extensive background checks were conducted in Massachusetts and Rhode Island prior to employment,” Lemoine wrote. “We always perform a background check for both Massachusetts and any state where the applicant has resided.”
2024-02-06 00:31:54
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