Maitland Ward Says 'Boy Meets World' Child Molester Guest Star Had Weird Vibe

Maitland Ward crossed paths with convicted child molester Brian Peck on the "Boy Meets World" set before she knew he was a bad seed.

We got Maitland in Bev Hills and she told us about her experience with Brian, the 'BMW' guest-star who, in the early 2000s, was convicted on child sexual abuse charges.

Maitland says she was always suspicious of Brian ... saying he always wanted to hang around the cast, including Rider Strong and Will Friedle, despite being much older than them.

The way Maitland remembers it ... Brian made her feel like he was jealous she might get in between him and the cast ... and she's not surprised Brian got in tight with Rider and Will, because she felt that was always his intention.

As we reported ... Rider and Will recently talked about Brian's case on their "Pod Meets World" podcast, expressing shame and regret for ever affiliating themselves with him.

Brian spent a year behind bars as part of a plea deal he copped after being accused of molesting an unidentified Nickelodeon child star ... and now he's set to be featured in an upcoming documentary about Nick's ugly underbelly.

Maitland says she didn't know Brian was a pedophile, just that there was something strange and off-putting about him. She really respects the guys for shining new light on it.