Greenwood Pleads Guilty to Sexual Battery
The trial of Jay Greenwood ended Tuesday when he pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual battery. He will be sentenced Thursday.
Greenwood, 61, is a resident of Lafferty and a longtime employee of the Belmont County Buildings and Grounds Department. He had been accused of rape and gross sexual imposition against three females, all of whom were younger than 13 when the alleged crimes occurred.
The trial began Sept. 20 and included testimony from the three victims as well as family, friends and Greenwood himself, who took the stand Thursday. Cross-examination of the defendant had been scheduled for Friday, but the trial was put on hold when Greenwood didn’t show up for court, reportedly after suffering a medical issue.
The charges carry a maximum sentence of five years each, for a total of 10 years if the sentences are set to run consecutively. Belmont County Prosecutor Dan Fry said his office will ask that the full 10-year sentence be imposed.
“We have minimal good-time credit now, so whatever sentence he gets he will do,” Fry said.
Assistant Prosecutor Scott Fry noted that the amended charges more closely reflect the nature of the crimes.
“It gives our victims some closure,” Fry added. “This was done with their approval and consent. It takes away any uncertainty that any jury trial gives us.”
Fry noted his office was prepared to continue to cross-examine and wrap up the case when Greenwood decided to plead guilty.
“I don’t know what was going through his mind. I don’t know why he approached us with regard to a plea. I don’t know whether he sat for four days in the trial and observed the circumstances that concerned him as far as where the jury would go in the end,” Fry said.
Fry noted that prosecution of the case involved several difficulties in terms of the time that had passed — in some cases, almost 20 years — before disclosure by the victims. He also acknowledged there was a lack of medical and forensic evidence, which meant the trial hinged on witness testimony.
“There was delayed reporting, but … we were confident. We believed (the victims). We believed the jury would believe them, so we went forward with the case.”
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