Keith Townsend, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse by defrocked Boston Catholic priest Ronald Paquin, says Paquin's recent death in prison may help victims of his crimes and their families "keep pressing forward every single day." Townsend, 52, shared his thoughts during a telephone interview, describing the emotional weight he and other survivors carry. Paquin, who died in custody in Maine on September 11 at age 83, was imprisoned in 2019 after being convicted of sexually abusing minors. Townsend was abused by Paquin between 1985 and 1989 while serving as an altar server at St. John the Baptist Church in Haverhill, Massachusetts. Paquin had previously admitted to abusing another altar server between 1989 and 1992, leading to his conviction and imprisonment in Massachusetts. His abuse was first exposed in a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative series by the Boston Globe’s Spotlight team. Paquin was released in 2015, which inspired Townsend to come forward and report his own abuse. Townsend recalled that Paquin used drugs and alcohol during the abuse, which contributed to his own struggles with addiction and incarceration. In 2017, a Maine grand jury indicted Paquin on new charges of gross sexual misconduct involving Townsend and another individual. A jury found Paquin guilty in 2018 of abusing Townsend, though he was acquitted of abusing the other person. In May 2019, Paquin was sentenced to 16 additional years in prison. He died in the Mountain View Correctional Facility in Charleston, Maine, according to the state’s Department of Corrections. Townsend learned of Paquin’s death from his wife, who saw it on news and social media. While he acknowledged some people’s joy at the news, Townsend focused on his own journey of recovery from addiction and the family he has built since overcoming the trauma. He expressed gratitude to Maine for taking a strong stance against Paquin, saying he wanted to "protect children ... not from a man, but from a monster." Townsend also noted that Massachusetts had previously allowed Paquin to go free, which motivated him to push for justice. Townsend has not yet seen the Oscar-winning film Spotlight, which dramatizes the Globe’s investigation into clergy sexual abuse in Boston. A key scene in the film shows a journalist confronting Paquin, played by Richard O'Rourke, about molesting boys at St. John the Baptist. Paquin’s character claims he "never felt gratified" by the abuse, a line that sparked mixed reactions. Attorney Mitchell Garabedian, who is depicted in the film and has represented abuse survivors, said the scene helped survivors feel they were not alone. Townsend expressed appreciation for any efforts that raised awareness of Paquin’s crimes, saying that getting him imprisoned "saved lives" and that is what matters most to him.