COLUMBUS (OH)
WKRC-TV, CBS-12 [Cincinnati OH]
December 19, 2024
By Katie Amrhein
CINCINNATI (WKRC) — Grooming children for sexual abuse is now illegal in Ohio, following the passage of House Bill 322 by the Ohio Senate on Wednesday.
This legislative move comes three years after Father Geoff Drew, a former priest in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, was convicted of rape in Hamilton County.0 seconds of 1 minute, 47 secondsVolume 90% (WKRC, file)
Drew had been accused by police and prosecutors of grooming children for decades, but no charges could be filed against him for grooming due to the absence of specific laws in Ohio. Charges were eventually brought against Drew five years ago when a victim came forward, accusing him of rape. Drew pleaded guilty to nine counts of rape for an attack that occurred before he became a priest while he was the music director at St. Jude Parish in Bridgetown.
The newly passed bill makes grooming a misdemeanor, with the possibility of felony charges for repeat offenders or if the child is under 13 years old. Ohioans for Child Protection, an organization comprised of parents and grandparents, has been advocating for stronger child abuse protections in the state.
Teresa Dinwiddie-Herrmann, co-founder of the organization, said:
“I certainly hope institutions are going to start doing a better job of vetting people who are working with children. And I hope it makes institutions understand that grooming behavior often is the smoke before the fire. And obviously, having this in place is going to give law enforcement the tools that they need to investigate when they see this type of red flag behavior.”
The Senate’s approval comes eight months after the House passed the bill, which will now be sent to Governor Mike DeWine. Ohio becomes the sixth state in the nation to criminalize grooming a child for sexual abuse.BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
Prison records indicate that Geoff Drew is expected to be released in 2026, with credit for time served in county jail while awaiting trial.