He will be sentenced Sept. 21 and faces up to an 11-year prison sentence.
Prosecutors said the girl was not Albers’ patient, and they found no evidence that any other children or patients were assaulted by him.
Albers, 48, addressed the court only when asked by Judge Stephen A. Wolaver if he understood his pleas and the consequences of making them.
The case against Albers started on Father’s Day 2010 when the teen’s mother called Surgarcreek Twp. police to complain about the sexual abuse that occurred between Jan. 1 and June 15, 2010. That same day, police, Greene County Children’s Services and an assistant prosecutor began to investigate the allegations.
County Prosecutor Stephen K. Haller said police arrested Albers later that day. A grand jury eventually indicted him of three counts of rape, three counts of sexual battery and three counts of gross sexual imposition.
Albers pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual battery, third degree felonies, and one count of gross sexual imposition, a fourth degree felony.
Haller said he was “very satisfied” with the guilty pleas. “We were able to secure this conviction over a year later. It’s a prime example of cooperation over all these agencies that led to the conviction.”
He said they fulfilled two of the state’s three goals in prosecuting Albers: securing felony assault convictions for each of the offenses; getting the convictions without the victim having to testify; and that he receive jail time.
“We are going to recommend a substantial amount of jail time,” Haller said.
Albers’ lawyer, Thomas Kollin, said Albers has lost both a successful career and his family.
“It is sad all around,” Kollin said. “Based on a guilty plea for a felony, he will never be able to practice medicine again. There’s a lot of kids he won’t be able to help. He’s one of the top pediatric surgeons in this area.”
Wolaver said Albers is eligible to receive community control where he would be monitored by an adult probation officer. He said he would consider the recommendation from the probation department, which is reviewing the case.
Albers will be registered as a lifetime tier-three sex offender, Wolaver said.
Albers was employed by the Orthopaedic Center for Spinal and Pediatric Care, which has offices at several area hospitals, but was suspended from his practice after his indictment.
Kollin said Albers chose the plea agreement over a jury trial to avoid a possible 49 years in prison for a rape conviction. He added Albers wanted also “to get some closure” in the matter, and to spare the young victim from testifying in court.
Kollin said Albers and his wife, Cynthia, who was not at court “are going through a nasty divorce.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2341.
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