Tim Ryan, tryan@wolfrivermedia.com
The parent of a child who attended a basketball camp last week where a 13-year-old was allegedly targeted for sexual contact by a basketball coach said she hopes the incident will lead to more public awareness of sexual predators.
Nicholas R. Bennett, 23, of Portland, Oregon, was charged Monday with using a computer to facilitate a sex crime and attempted child enticement. He allegedly exchanged sexually graphic text messages with a 13-year-old boy he met at the basketball camp and set up what authorities said was intended to be a sexual rendezvous.
Shawano County sheriff’s detectives, who were alerted to the text messages by the boy’s mother, took over electronic communications and arrested Bennett at the meeting place Friday.
The camp, conducted by Pro Shot Shooting System, was hosted by Sacred Heart Catholic School in Shawano. Bennett was an employee of the camp.
Principal Elisha Wagenson said the camp was recommended by one of the school’s basketball coaches who had attended the camp in another city.
Wagenson said the school had also arranged for four staff members, including the athletic director, to be on hand for the event. All were “safe-environment trained and background-checked,” she said.
The criminal complaint states the boy stayed for a little while after the camp ended to continue practicing with Bennett, but, Wagenson said, staff were present also and at no time was the student alone with Bennett.
Wagenson said the school is also fully cooperating with authorities in their investigation.
Lorna Buelow, of Bonduel, whose son also attended the basketball camp, said she was disturbed by the news of Bennett’s arrest and the allegations against him.
“It made my skin crawl,” she said.
Buelow picked up her son after the event, and she recalled that during the drive home her son thought there was something odd about Bennett.
“On the way home, he said, ‘that young coach was kind of weird,’” Buelow said.
The criminal complaint states the 13-year-old boy Bennett allegedly targeted hurt his wrist at one point and that Bennett “kissed it to make it better.”
Buelow said she and her son had a conversation about appropriate and inappropriate behavior by adults toward children.
Buelow said that’s a topic her family has discussed before and often with their three children.
“Kids need to know what’s appropriate and what’s not, and they need to know they don’t have to allow that,” she said.
Buelow said the family has also discussed what can happen on the Internet.
“We’ve talked about the dangers,” she said. “You can think you’re talking to another kid, someone you befriend on a game site, but it could be anyone. We’ve talked about that quite a bit.”
Buelow said the basketball camp incident should spur more awareness of sexual predators.
“This is an issue that needs to be addressed honestly and openly,” she said. “It’s an unfortunate reality of society.”
That reality hits close to home for Buelow, who said she was sexually abused as a child.
In those days, however, such things weren’t discussed.
“It’s not a conversation we had,” she said. “It was considered shameful, even for the victim.”
Buelow said children in particular have to understand there are trusted adults they can go to and talk to about these things.
“There is no shame in being a victim,” she said.
Buelow said she would like to see the sheriff’s department, the schools and other community agencies hold informational seminars with parents on how to talk to their kids about the dangers of the Internet, inappropriate behavior from adults and how children can protect themselves.
“Information is power,” she said.
Buelow added that she does not hold Sacred Heart school responsible for what happened.
“I don’t blame them or find any fault with them. I don’t think they could have known,” she said.
Buelow said she was put off, however, by a letter the school sent to parents asking that they not speak to the media.
“I don’t think this should be swept under the rug,” Buelow said.
Wagenson said the memo to parents “was not intended to shut people down.”
She said it was felt that school and parish officials were in a better position to discuss the facts of the case.
Wagenson said she has no issue with Buelow going public to spread awareness of sexual predators and, she said, she agrees with that.
“The more we talk about it and educate people, the safer out community will be,” she said.