By Serena Solomon
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MIDTOWN — Federal prosecutors are suing both a registered child sex offender who became an Upper West Side building superintendent and the landlord who hired him, the New York Post reported.
The Manhattan U.S. Attorney's Office filed the civil-rights lawsuit on Tuesday, the Post said.
The superintendent, William Barnason, 57, was released from prison in 2001 after serving 14 years on charges of the rape, sodomy and sexual abuse of three Long Island girls between the ages of 5 and 7.
During his tenure as superintendent, the Level 3 sex offender had access to more than 50 apartments, according to the Post. Several residents of the buildings where Barnason worked reportedly accused him of soliciting sexual favors in exchange for discounted rent and other perks.
Both the landlord, Stanley Katz, and Barnason are being held accountable for the sexual harassment, the Village Voice reported.
Katz has denied knowing anything about Barnason's past, but prosecutors said he turned a blind eye to his employee's criminal convictions, the Village Voice reported.
In late February, media coverage of Barnason’s case led Sen. Chuck Schumer to propose a bill that would prevent sex offenders from becoming building superintendents or managers.
