Ohio man accused of touching strangers' belly buttons banned from campuses

Greg Burrier of Stow, Ohio, had his day in court this week.

Credit: Joe Raedle

Credit: Joe Raedle

Greg Burrier of Stow, Ohio, had his day in court this week.

Prosecutors said a 29-year-old Ohio man, accused of approaching women for the past 10 years and allegedly trying to touch their belly buttons, should be imprisoned for violating his parole.

Greg Burrier, of Stow, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Summit County Common Pleas Court to violating his parole, WJW reported. He is banned from going to parks alone and is not allowed on campus at Kent State University or the University of Akron, prosecutors told WJW.

Burrier’s defense attorney, however, told the court that his client has autism and should go to a residential treatment facility, WJW reported.

Burrier was placed on parole in 2012 after pleading guilty to a sexual battery charge. In that case, prosecutors said he told a woman he was pledging a fraternity and asked to touch her belly button.

“Since that time he has violated his probation numerous times,” said Brad Gessner, chief counsel for the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office. “He has not been successful on probation. He went to prison. He was given judicial release, and he continues to ignore and to violate the restrictions probation has placed on him.”

A Stow 911 call and police report from July said “A male was rushing a fraternity and needed to ask a woman a few questions. After the questions, the male stated he needed to touch her belly button.”

When the woman asked him what he would do if she said no, he allegedly said he would ask someone else. She then raised her shirt slightly and allowed him to touch her belly button.

“She stated he proceeded to get on a knee and used his index finger, pressing it, and circling his finger around the navel,” according to the police report. “She stated it lasted for approximately a minute or so. After a few seconds, she asked him how much longer he would need and he stated, “30 more seconds."