<human>: Summarize the given text in a few sentences.

EDIT:  I should elaborate on my specific circumstances.  I'd like to hear everyone's general opinion, but I welcome your specific take on this case.

So my family had some friendly neighbors move a couple of counties away.  They ended up renting their house out to their friend.  This friend (let's call him "Z"), we had met before at get-togethers and judged to be a decent friendly guy.  So Z moves in and my wife just happens to view the local sex offender registry website (this is in the USA) and found his picture and address on there.  It says Z was convicted of "attempted kidnapping" and "attempted rape" some 25 years ago.  So of course my wife gets into a panic about the whole thing.  My viewpoint at the time was that we should beware, but we had no right to confront him or harass him about something that happened a long time ago.  I was still uncomfortable knowing this about him and not talking to him about it.

Some time later Z and I happened to stop to talk to one another one morning while mowing lawns.  An hour and a half later Z has told me most of his life story including his struggles with some pretty hardcore drugs back in the 80's.  I never brought up the sex offender topic, but now I wish I had.

Overall my gut feeling says he's OK.  He keeps to himself mostly and is generally friendly.  He's clean now and should not be damned for the rest of his life for bad choices in his youth.

Still though, my wife and neighbors are panicked and I'm not sure what to tell them considering I seem to know him the best out of everyone there.
<bot>: Sex offender moves in next door and my wife sees his mugshot on Internet.  I had a conversation with him one day and he seems alright.  Crimes happened back in 80's while he was a druggie.