King Jade II owner regrets bringing sex offender to Grafton

7-8-2011 Massachusetts:

GRAFTON, Mass. - Nathan Nguyen, owner and manager of Grafton's King Jade II Restaurant, is having second thoughts about the delivery driver he recently hired.

Robert Victor Dumont, 67, of 234 Church Avenue, Northbridge, is a Level 3 sex offender recently hired by the King Jade II Chinese Restaurant at 78 Worcester Street, Grafton. The announcement of his registration with Grafton Police as the town of Grafton's fifth Level 3 sex offender caused a stir at the restaurant within hours.

Nguyen said he has already had so many complaints at his Grafton branch that he has decided not to allow Dumont to make deliveries in the town of Grafton, citing fear of a backlash from local residents and the potential loss of business as the reasons for his decision.

"He's just a driver, so we don't want to make a big deal out of it," Nguyen said on Wednesday. "But the town made a big deal out of it, so we need to do something."

Prior to working in Grafton, Dumont was making deliveries in Northbridge for Nguyen and fellow owner Wei Ming Dai's original business, the King Jade, at 1229 Providence Road, Whitinsville. Dumont had worked for the company under it's previous owner, Salina W. Chen, before Nguyen and Dai bought the business in 2004.

Dumont explained that he had worked for the company in the past when applying to return to the King Jade back in April of this year. Nguyen said he had no knowledge of Dumont's criminal past, nor did Dumont inform him of his record. Nguyen said he did not run a background check because the employee already had a history with the company.

The King Jade in Northbridge is currently under renovation, so Nguyen originally moved Dumont's employment to Grafton to keep him working while the Northbridge restaurant was inactive.

When Dumont registered with the town of Grafton, as required by law, Nguyen became aware of the conflict of interest in allowing a convicted sex offender to deliver food to Grafton homes.

Instead, Nguyen will no longer allow Dumont to make deliveries in either Grafton or Northbridge. Instead, Dumont will work the front desk in Northbridge, as it turns out Northbridge residents had also complained of his making deliveries as recently as two weeks ago.

"He's going to work [in Northbridge] now," Nguyen said. "He was trying to help us out over there [in Grafton], but right now there are so many complaints over there."

Dumont is no longer under parole and is free to work for any company willing to hire him, but after receiving as much negative feedback as has arrived in the past 24 hours, Nguyen is balking at keeping Dumont on staff at all.

"Maybe not," was Nguyen's only response.

Under state law, those convicted of a sex offense are classified by the state's Sex Offender Registry Board in three categories. Level 1 indicates a very low risk of re-offense. Level 2 indicates a moderate risk, and the names of these offenders are available by request through the local police department and the Sex Offender Registry Board. Level 3 is a high risk to re-offend, and their names are not only made public but their photographs, addresses and offenses are posted in public places -- in Grafton's case, in the Municipal Center, at the Police Department and on the Police Department's website.

And as far as his comfort level with having a Level 3 sex offender as part of his business...

"No, right now I'm not comfortable," said Nguyen. ..Source.. by Jeremy Rice