Oregon Psychologist Craig Steinberg, Charged with Encouraging Child Sex Abuse, Offered To Be "Father Figure" to Child Patients

April 7, 2020

EUGENE, Ore. -- The parents of a patient who went to local child psychologist Craig Steinberg are speaking out after the man's child pornography arrest.

David Van Wie and his wife Sydney Plavins, who had been sending their teenage son to Steinberg for the past two years, were shocked when they heard the news of the charges Steinberg has been accused of.

“It made me really sick to my stomach, and it made me really concerned for my family members and other people I’ve seen coming in and out of Craig’s office," said Plavins.

Sgt. George Crolly of the Springfield Police Department said this type of situation, as awful as it is, is all too common.

“Often times people that commit these types of crimes are people who have access to children, through one way or another," said Crolly.

Van Wie said after he heard about the charges Steinberg was facing, he looked further into the psychologist his son had been seeing and came across something disturbing Steinberg had written on his Psychology Today profile.

“You’ll find a section that talks about how he is available to children who have no father or need a father figure in their life. Looking back on that now it makes me worry that he is trying to bring in vulnerable children, whether for grooming or his own personal use," Van Wie said.

Van Wie and Plavins said they are most concerned for children on the spectrum who were patients of Steinberg because they said children with autism are even more vulnerable to abuse.

“It was really disturbing to realize I was really off on reading this person who I was allowing a family member to spend time alone with," Plavins said.

Today Steinberg was arraigned at Lane County Circuit Court and charged with 10 felony counts of encouraging child sex abuse. Crolly said this investigation is not related to the investigation of Matthew Werner, who is also facing child pornography charges in Springfield.

Source: “Parents of patient react to child psychologist’s child pornography arrest,” KEZI ABC-10 News, April 6, 2020. URL: https://www.kezi.com/content/news/Parents-speak-out-after-child-psychologist-faces-child-pornography-charges-569426381.html