File in 'That's sick'

Life and crimes. What is it with criminal sexual conduct and the Thumb?

(Too blatant for ya? Tough. Because this isn't for the squeamish tonight.)

Andrew Selich alerted us to a story out of the Bay City Times regarding former Owen-Gage coach Cory Fritz. The allegation is that he committed 20 counts of third degree criminal sexual conduct with a then 14-year-old girl some three to four years ago.

Unfortunately, that's not the sickest allegation. Rather, it's a tale of infanticide that is perhaps the most damning, if true. I'll save the gruesome details for the link, but let's look at this as a whole.

This not the first charge of criminal sexual conduct in the Thumb. Nor around the sports world in the Thumb. Don't forget about what happened up at Unionville-Sebewaing with its girls basketball coach nor in North Branch with its football coach. Certainly, those instances pale in comparison.

Again, it's not just sports and it's not one count of criminal sexual conduct, either. Many times, in going through court records for just a few years in Tuscola County personally and watching reports out of Sanilac and Huron counties as well, criminal sexual conduct between youths and adults - stepparents, parents, teachers, coaches, whatever - is happening. And there's numerous counts.

It's sad.

And you know, this probably won't be the last time we talk about this case. There probably will be another in the not so distant future.