Geoff Drew, a former Catholic priest who pleaded guilty to nine counts of raping a child, walked out of an Ohio prison Aug. 17. He is now living at a Cincinnati halfway house and must register his address with the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office every 90 days for the rest of his life.
Drew, 64, left Noble Correctional Institution in rural Noble County between 8:30 and 8:45 a.m., according to an Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction spokesperson, WCPO 9 reported. He is now residing at the Volunteers of America re-entry program on W. McMicken Avenue in Over-the-Rhine, a facility that currently houses 35 registered sex offenders.
What corridor families should know
As a Tier 3 sex offender, Ohio's highest classification, Drew is subject to lifetime registration. When he registers, sheriff's deputies will distribute postcards with his mug shot and criminal history to neighbors, nearby schools and childcare centers.
Ohio law prohibits Tier 3 offenders from living within 1,000 feet of any school, preschool or day care. The Hamilton County Prosecutor's Sexual Offender Unit must approve registered sex offender addresses in communities including Sharonville, Springdale, Evendale and Woodlawn to ensure compliance with that restriction. Drew is also banned from volunteer work involving extensive contact with children.
Drew will remain on supervised release for five years. Any move from the halfway house requires prior approval through the adult parole office.
The conviction
Drew raped a boy repeatedly in the late 1980s and early 1990s while serving as music director at St. Jude school in Green Township. The victim was 9, 10 and 11 years old at the time. A Hamilton County judge sentenced Drew to seven years in prison in 2021, with two years credited for time served, after he pleaded guilty.
Police identified a second alleged victim, but prosecutors could not file charges because the man was 45 when he came forward, past Ohio's criminal statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse victims, which is age 43.
At the time of Drew's sentencing, then-Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said he believed there were likely additional victims at schools where Drew had worked, according to the Dayton Daily News.
Authorities respond
Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich said Monday that Drew's release does not end accountability.
"He may be leaving prison, but he is not leaving supervision or accountability," Pillich said. "He will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, and we will do everything the law allows to ensure he is held accountable and that the community has the information and protections it needs."
Retired Cincinnati police detective Dana Jones, who led the investigation alongside Green Township detective James Conforti, told WCPO 9's I-Team podcast that she does not believe the community is safe. Jones said Drew targeted vulnerable boys and used his position as a priest to gain access and trust.
Drew's laicization, his formal removal from the Catholic priesthood, was finalized in November 2023. He is prohibited from presenting himself as a priest and may not volunteer at any parish, school or ministry under the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
How to check the registry
Residents can search the Ohio sex offender registry at ohio.gov or contact the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office for information about registered offenders in their neighborhood. Parents with concerns about a sex offender living near a school can contact the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Sexual Offender Unit.
