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Weymouth sex offender back in court, accused of violating parole

BOSTON — A convicted child rapist will be back in court Monday after being accused of violating his parole.

Richard Gardner was released from prison earlier this month, and residents in Weymouth have been fighting to keep him off their streets.

Gardner is a convicted level three sex offender. He was arrested on a fugitive from justice charge out of Rhode Island and summonsed to court for a violation of a Quincy sex offender ordinance on Saturday, October 8.

According to a Quincy police report, investigators say Gardner was seen at the library in Quincy without written permission, which is required for sex offenders. The librarian told police she thought she saw him looking at pictures of a child without a shirt, but only saw his email when she looked again.

Police arrested Gardner at a homeless shelter in Roxbury, but he's from Weymouth. Gardner moved into his mother's house when he was released from prison earlier this month. Local residents there started a petition to have him removed from the neighborhood.

"He should've never been released in the first place," said Weymouth resident Amanda Hill. "So I think we the community can sleep a little better knowing he's not on the streets."

In 1989, Gardner was ordered to serve 190 years in prison for kidnapping and sexually abusing children. He won a shorter sentence on appeal.

One lawmaker believes there should be tougher restrictions for sex offenders like Gardner.

State Senator Patrick O'Connor told the Patriot Ledger he wants to see tougher restrictions for high risk sex offenders like Gardner, and wants laws to make sure they remain in prison and strengthen GPS monitoring for those who are released.
  
The Plymouth County DA released a statement Saturday saying he commends and supports the petition signed by Weymouth residents calling for the state to require level 3 sex offenders to wear tracking devices, which hadn't been required for Gardner.

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