Geoff Drew, the former Archdiocese of Cincinnati priest who pleaded guilty to nine counts of raping a child, walked out of prison Monday morning.

Drew, 64, left Noble Correctional Institution between 8:30 and 8:45 a.m. Aug. 17, and is now living at the Volunteers of America halfway house at 115 W. McMicken Ave. in Over-the-Rhine, according to a WCPO I-Team investigation.

The release matters for east-side families with children at Purcell Marian and other Catholic schools under the archdiocese's jurisdiction. The Archdiocese of Cincinnati confirmed Drew will not be permitted to volunteer in any capacity at any parish, school or ministry it oversees. Drew's laicization was finalized by the Vatican in November 2023, meaning he can no longer present himself as a priest.

What the law requires

Drew is classified as a Tier 3 sex offender, the highest level. Ohio law forbids him from living within 1,000 feet of any school, preschool or day care center. He must register his home address with the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office every 90 days for the rest of his life, and deputies will distribute postcards with his mug shot and criminal history to neighbors, nearby schools and childcare centers.

He will be on supervised release for five years. If he wants to move from the VOA facility, he must first seek approval through the adult parole office.

Drew recently tried to reclassify his sex offender status to a lower tier, which would have eliminated notification to neighbors and schools, FOX19 reported. Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich immediately opposed the motion, and a judge rejected it.

"He may be leaving prison, but he is not leaving supervision or accountability," Pillich said in a statement Monday. "The consequences of his conviction do not end at the prison gates."

The case

Drew pleaded guilty to repeatedly raping an altar boy who was 9, 10 and 11 years old. The abuse occurred in the late 1980s and early 1990s when Drew was music director at St. Jude in Bridgetown. He completed a seven-year sentence, with about 27 months of county jail time credited toward it.

The victim, Paul Neyer, is now a married father of four. He agreed to the plea deal in exchange for Drew's admission to raping him nine times.

A second man accused Drew of repeated sexual abuse while a young student at St. Jude in the 1980s, but prosecutors could not file charges because the man was past Ohio's criminal statute of limitations of age 43.

Dana Jones, the retired Cincinnati police detective who led the investigation, told WCPO she does not believe the community is safe. "I think he will be kind and present himself as caring and loving. He will befriend families with teenage boys," Jones said. "He knew who to target, and so that fears me and that should fear the community."

The halfway house

The VOA facility on McMicken Avenue holds an average of 128 residents, has at least three staff members on duty around the clock and uses video surveillance in common areas. It sits two blocks from a playground and public pool.

Drew had originally wanted to live with his elderly mother on a West Side dead-end street where an elementary school bus stop sits in front of the house. His family said in April he would not be living there.

Drew's next registration with the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office is due within 90 days of his release.