Boston Area News

by Kathy Curran
BOSTON (CBS4) ― The CBS4 I-Team has an important warning for anyone planning a family vacation. We found some of the state's most dangerous sex offenders living and working in local hotels and motels. So before you check in to your room you need to check out this I-Team investigation.

"It's difficult we have a lot of hotels here, we have a lot of families, it's a vacation area so you have to be vigilant," said Barnstable police Detective Jason Laber.

From Bourne to Orleans it's a warning to vacationers on Cape Cod. The I-Team checked out some budget hotels and motels and look who's staying in the room next door.

We found convicted sex offenders filling vacancies in towns across the Cape.

"This is Arthur Tavares, he's level 3, he committed rape and abuse of a child," said Laber.

In Barnstable, sex offender Arthur Tavares calls room 2 at the Craigville motel home.

Laber says that's a concern. "A level 3 sex offender there's a high likelihood they would re-offend so first and foremost that's what we're concerned with."

Police say Tavares checks in and out of here sometimes staying for months at a time. The owner tells us she didn't know she had a sex offender as a frequent guest.

"You had no idea he was a level 3 sex offender? I had no idea," said Tara Patel, owner of the Craigville Motel.

"There's no mandate on the part of the offender to tell the proprieter of the hotel, 'listen I'm a sex offender'," said Laber.

At the Barnacle Motel in Dennis, one of the most disturbing cases we found involving 44-year-old Ernest Cyr. Cyr was convicted of raping a child in 1987 and indecent assault and battery on a child 12 years later.

Right now Cyr is on probation for life. He's not supposed to have unsupervised contact with any child under the age of 14 and the probation department has to approve where he lives. But we've learned not only does the level 3 offender live in room 12, he's the assistant manager of the place.

When asked if motel patrons knew he was a level 3 sex offender convicted of child rape, Cyr denied ever raping a child. But when asked if he thought it risky being in this position with families around, Cyr said, "No because I make sure I'm not alone."

But on the 3 days we visited the Barnacle, Ernest Cyr was working alone. His boss wouldn't talk to us about that but did tell us the convicted child predator is a good employee.

"Everytime you're on vacation you're looking to have a good time and not worry about becoming a victim of a crime or that people that might be servicing you might be sex offenders," said Captain William Monahan of the Dennis Police.

Those offenders, hotels and motels aren't breaking any law. Sex offenders are allowed to live anywhere in the community unless they're restricted by the court.

Adair Roberts and Jared Landry are visiting from Canada with their month old son.

"It would be concerning with a young child but on the other hand i believe it's a rights issue," said Roberts.

"As a father I would have a little more concern," said Landry.

They're concerned about people like Scott Cassidy. Cassidy was convicted of 2 counts of indecent assault and battery on a child.
He lived in Yarmouth at the Yankee Village motel for a month.

"We had one sex offender stay there," said Sgt. Chris Farrell of the Bourne Police.

Level 2 offenders have moved in and out of rooms in Harwich, Orleans and Bourne.

"Unless the person discloses to the motel that they're a sex offender the hotel's not going to find out," said Farrell.

"If you're coming in to town you have to be vigilant, you don't know who you're surrounded by," said Det. Laber.

We asked the Probation Department why level 3 sex offenders convicted of crimes against children, like Ernest Cyr were allowed to live in hotels and motels.

Officials there had no comment but once we began raising questions about Cyr he was removed from the Barnacle motel.

We tried to speak with the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce and the Mass. Lodging Association about this issue but no one would talk with us because of the possible impact on tourism on the Cape.

(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)