Wednesday, May 26, 2004
Inspectors are welcome by appointment, a church leader said.
By SEAN BARRON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NORTH JACKSON -- Chris Dobrilovic thinks that a church housing a convicted sex offender is a bad idea for both the offender and the community.
Dobrilovic, a Jackson Township resident who lives a few miles from Victory Harvest Ministries, said she questions how effective the religious-based treatment is in helping Steven Rich, a registered sex offender.
Rich, 40, formerly of Goodsprings, Tenn., has been staying at Victory Harvest on Palmyra Road since he was paroled from prison into Columbiana County about four weeks ago.
Rich had been sentenced to six years in prison and was labeled a sexual predator, meaning he is required to report his whereabouts to local law enforcement. He pleaded guilty in 1998 in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court to a rape charge and two counts of gross sexual imposition for sexual conduct with a 7-year-old girl in 1996 and 1997.
Dobrilovic was one of about 35 people who attended Tuesday's North Jackson Citizens' Association meeting.
Other questions
Several other residents wanted to know who is funding the church's programs and staff and who is liable if a sex offender commits another crime.
Residents were also concerned that the church is not designed to house people with addictions and other problems and said it may be in violation of zoning regulations.
Dobrilovic, who has a 6-year-old daughter, said she is worried for the safety of her daughter and other children. North Jackson is a rural community, and many children have to travel farther and in smaller groups to play with other children than they would if they lived in an urban area, she said.
"Predators are known to single out lone kids. They're going to re-offend, and there's no way to predict when, where, or who. I'm very concerned for my daughter, and there are nights I don't sleep because of this," she said.
The Rev. Scott Pyles, assistant pastor at Victory Harvest, said Rich served his time and has a right to live where he chooses. Sexual offenders have the lowest recidivism rate (rate of repeat offenses) of any violent felons, he said.
Fewer than 3 percent of sexual offenders commit the same type of crime again, and fewer than 13 percent ever commit another crime, he added. The recidivism rate among other violent felons is around 50 percent, the Rev. Mr. Pyles said.
Rich's parole officer has approved his staying at the church for at least another month, Mr. Pyles said.
Mr. Pyles said he has invited township residents and others to come to the church and share their concerns. He added that Wayne McDougal, Jackson Township fire chief, and other officials also are welcome if they make an appointment.
Olin Harkleroad, association president, collected signatures from most of those in attendance for a letter he was planning to draft and circulate to township trustees that would call for stronger zoning regulations.
Also on agenda
In other business, Tom Frost, association vice president, said Carlton Sears, director of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County, has been seeking community input to develop a library plan to best serve the county's northwestern part.
Frost has met with people from North Jackson and Lake Milton to come up with ways to improve library services. Consolidating the North Jackson and Lake Milton branches into a larger, more modern facility is one possibility, he noted.
Library system trustees adopted a strategic plan earlier this year that proposed closing the North Jackson branch because of low patronage. The library system closed low-activity branches in Lowellville and North Lima late last month.