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Ellen Belcher is the Dayton Daily News opinion pages editor. She writes about state government, education, the environment, higher education and all things Dayton.
Martin Gottlieb is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He focuses on the political process itself and does such national issues as war, the economy, taxes and Social Security, as well as a hodge-podge of local and state issues.Home > Blogs > A Matter of Opinion > Archives > 2009 > May > 10 > Entry
Seeking answers about recent sex cases
As with many of you, I am having a hard time understanding the recent story of Chaminade-Julienne High School girls basketball coach Marc Greenberg’s arrest for trying to arrange a tryst with a police officer who he thought was an underage girl while chatting online.
Greenberg was a professional success, a family man and by all accounts a likable fellow. If he did what he is charged with, it’s hard to imagine what motivates a man to put all that at risk to try to meet a young girl for sex.
In a pair of stories Sunday, DDN reporters look at the factors that come into play that lead men with an unhealthy compulsion to spiral into potentially illegal behavior.
i don’t know Greenberg, but I did know Bill Nelson. Nelson, the former Miamisburg city manager, was arrested last fall for trying to meet up with a police officer he thought was an underage girl he met online. I worked with him when he was city manager in Tipp City and I covered the city for a small newspaper. Again, Nelson was a professional success, a family man and just the most unlikely person I could imagine to be charged with this sort of crime.
In Ohio, there are a lot of laws on the books to address extreme sexual predators — laws that require them to register and require community notice, among other things. But along the spectrum of potential sex offenders, men like Nelson and Greenberg seem potentially salvageable. If there was a way there could have been intervention, might they have dealt with their compulsions and avoided this fate?
Even if there were, would such an intervention translate in away way to law or public policy? Other than hoping men with such compulsions get help on their own in time to avoid self destruction, is there anything that can be done on a community level to help?
I’d love to hear your ideas if you have any.
Permalink | Comments (9) | Post your comment | Categories: Law Enforcement and Public Safety, Scott Elliott
Comments
By John Baker
May 11, 2009 6:00 AM | Link to this
I don’t know about Miamisburg, but C-J has a problem with denial. When reporting inappropriate testing and message to the principal, all you receive is denial rather than co-operation in resolving the problem. I am forced to contact the prosecutor…I guess the habits of the preists run deep. It’s the vollyyball and soccer coaches too…By Stuck
May 11, 2009 6:31 AM | Link to this
Is there anything that can be done at a community level? Many of these things are done behind closed doors, and not being brought to light until someone is busted. Unfortunately those who may be able to pick up any “signals” are those closest to the offender and those who are probably either blind to it or in denial. As for Mr. Greenberg — I’m not so sure about his professional success. I am one of his now “former clients” and had to scramble last week to find new counsel only to be met with the realization that he severely botched my case.By Diane
May 11, 2009 8:23 AM | Link to this
I don’t think it’s possible to “save” these selfish, egocenteric, arrogant indivuals from self-destruction. That would require them to realize and admit that they have a problem, and that’;sBy Diane
May 11, 2009 8:30 AM | Link to this
I don’t think it’s possible to “save” these selfish, egocentric, arrogant indivuals from self-destruction. That would require them to realize and admit that they have a problem. That’s just not likely to happen. This type of person thinks he is smarter than everyone else and will never get caught.By Diane
May 11, 2009 8:30 AM | Link to this
I don’t think it’s possible to “save” these selfish, egocentric, arrogant indivuals from self-destruction. That would require them to realize and admit that they have a problem. That’s just not likely to happen. This type of person thinks he is smarter than everyone else and will never get caught.By Oldprof
May 11, 2009 8:59 AM | Link to this
Perhaps a minor point, one that won’t fix but a small percentage of the problem—but I think it’s time that we mandate that only women serve as coaches for girl’s teams.By Susan
May 11, 2009 11:01 AM | Link to this
No politician in Ohio wants to “appear soft” on any type of sex offense - even if it’s the right thing to do. These are the same lawmakers that foolishly adopted the AWA resulting in no one in Ohio having even the vaguest idea of which former offenders might be dangerous. With Ohio Lawmakers, common sense approaches to crime are unheard of - because it won’t get you re-elected - unless it affects everyone’s children when it comes to sexting.By Concerned Citizen
May 11, 2009 11:09 AM | Link to this
As a society, we sexualize and idealize young girls. Apparently, 15-year-old Miley Cyrus can be photographed virtually naked and very sexualized, then distributed across the U.S., but then we expect men to not lust after them. I’m not saying these men behaved appropriately - they didn’t - but I am saying that this is a larger cultural issue we need to look at.By Concerned Citizen
May 11, 2009 11:15 AM | Link to this
First of all, the laws for sex offender registration and notification requirements don’t just apply to “extreme sexual predators” - they will apply to these men if convicted - and they apply to a whole range of others who committed non-violent, non-contact, and/or consenual crimes. I agree with Susan - the Adam Walsh Act laws make it impossible to distinguish the risky individuals from the “made a mistake, served my time, and trying to reestablish my life” individuals. And all as an act of pandering to voters on an emotional issue - not on solid, research-based policy decisions.