Here’s a challenging situtation.

I am a clinical chaplain at a prison, which for a long time was as sex offender treatment unit. While my specialized training is not working with sex offenders, I have been closely involved with them and their treatment. I believe churches need to be extremely careful in this area.

The spate of false accusations which were generated in the 1980's through faulty interviewing technique are certainly evidence of how such accusations can get out of hand and ruin people. However, it is also necessary to bear in mind that sex offence is a compulsive behavior with an extremely high probability of being repeated. If I were in your situation I would want to know if there is any possible foundation to the accusations. I would ask these questions:

What is your source of information that a "real perpatrator" was found? This would only make sense to me if the incident involved molestation by a stranger and mistaken identity. The vast majority of molestation is not done by a stranger, but by family, friends and acquaintences. The story doesn't sound right to me. Independently verify everything this man tells you .

You mention background check and sex offender registry. Did you verify these yourself with official sources?

Be very very careful. At some point this man must come to appreciate that people will be afraid and accept that. If I was an innocent man, who was still under a cloud of suspicion, I would do what I needed to do to make others feel safe. I would not go anywhere near children and I would understand it will take much time to build basic trust and acceptance. He has an obligation to church members. Church members have an obligation too. They have a right to expect strict safeguards, but they need to minister to this man whether or not he is a pedophile. He is a human being and a child of God. If they don't get it, then they don't really know what Christ is all about.

Morris