Okay. You're gonna need a map for this one.

Those who were already ambivalent toward or completely against the Guardian Angels have more reason to be skeptical of the group. Apparently the Angels' screening process could use an overhaul because a registered sex offender is among their ranks. However, we aren't quite sure what's going on because the Globe and the Herald are have different takes on the story.

Here's the real story: The Guardian Angels had a sex offender in the ranks. That's a big problem.

Here's the second layer of the story's cake: The Problem Angel is also one of the more high-profile members of the Boston group. According to the Herald's O'Ryan Johnson and Michele McPhee, the problem Angel is the same ex-Angel who asked Guardian Angel leader Curtis Sliwa to return to Boston.

Someone recognized the Problem Angel as he was on patrol in Roxbury, and a little digging revealed his past. The Herald identified the Problem Angel by name and with a picture. The alleged offender is indeed one of the prominent members of the group - in fact, they ID him as the same guy who asked Sliwa to come back to Boston in the first place.

Now here's the icing: the Globe's Suzanne Smalley did not identify the Problem Angel because (and the Herald noted this as well) they couldn't reach him for comment.

Even though the Globe didn't give the Problem Angel's name, they described his crime: "The episode occurred in Roxbury in April 2001 in connection with the man's role as a volunteer working with children. The man was accused of touching a boy underneath his underwear." The Herald said authorities were unable to specify the crime.

We're not going to give the guy's name (you can find that out over at the Herald) because the jigsaw puzzle isn't complete. You know, "all charges alleged …" and so forth.

But wait, there's more - the Weekly Dig reports that the Globe and the Herald are disputing how the Guardian Angels wound up in Boston in the first place. Curtis Sliwa and the Herald say that the Problem Angel asked Sliwa to come back. Suzanne Smalley is saying that the Herald's Michele McPhee asked Sliwa to come back and whip up a really good story. The Dig writes,

Sources say that Smalley asked Angels founder Curtis Sliwa whether McPhee (who’s familiar with Sliwa from her days at the New York Daily News) invited him to come to town. That’s a charge loaded with impropriety, since McPhee broke news of the Angels’ impending arrival, and has covered the group intensively. The Angels have popped up in 14 of her stories in the past two weeks.

Now, if it is true that McPhee did encourage Sliwa to return and spotlighted the Problem Angel as part of the story, that's a big problem. But we'll let the Globe and the Herald duke it out.

Here's hoping that the Globe and the Herald straighten out this supposed turf war so those of us who read both papers can get all sides of the story without getting confused.

All media oddities aside, Curtis Sliwa has gotten an important message - if you want to play with the big boys, you also need to recruit like the big boys - do your own background checks!