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Serah Bellar, Niece of Dove Outreach Church Minister in Waverly Ohio, Accuses Family of Sex Abuse in Lawsuit


An Ohio woman fled her family home after years of what she described as horrific abuse, religiously motivated filed a lawsuit alleging that his mother, father, uncle, brothers and a local police officer not only caused the abuse but allowed it to continue, then covered it up when authorities became suspicious.

In 22-page civil lawsuit, filed February 21 in Cincinnati . federal courtSerah Bellar said her parents “required” all 18 biological children and one of their adopted children to attend their uncle’s Dove Outreach Church in Waverly, Ohio.

“This cult-like church is owned, operated and served by Defendant James Bellar, brother of Defendant Robert Bellar,” the lawsuit states. “Defendant James Bellar preached that siblings were meant to breed together.”

James Bellar’s ministry is “here by God’s call to serve you in the name of Jesus,” his website tells visitors. “If you have a need, I can help you just ask. This home page will provide you with useful tools and information to help anyone on their spiritual journey; Who will come from the sinful world to God the Father in the name of his only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ. ”

In her lawsuit, Bellar, now 18, says her two brothers, Josiah and Jonathan, regularly sexually assaulted her starting at the age of 5. 54 years old and Deborah, 49 years old.

The lawsuit accuses the Bellars of civil conspiracy, child sex trafficking, obstruction of justice, coercion and promotion of prostitution, endangerment of children, and violations of the Ohio Corrupt Practices Act as well. such as the US Racketeer Influential Organized Crime Act. Jimmy Childs, a sergeant with the Athens County Sheriff’s Department and a close friend of the Bellars, was charged with negligence in connection with his duties and obligations as a sworn law enforcement officer. . The lawsuit was filed under the name “Jane Doe”, but Bellar .’s attorney has since confirmed that it is indeed hers.

United States Southern District Court for the Southern District of Ohio

Bellar was reported missing in April 2020, when she was 16 years old. Then, a year later, Bellar suddenly reappears under a new name on social media.

“Just wanted to post a picture so people KNOW I’m safe and that’s really who I am,” she posted on Facebook, alleging prolonged physical, psychological and sexual abuse by her family. Miss. “Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me in getting justice for me!”

In the post, Bellar said she was adopted and cared for by an elderly couple until she was ready to go public, and she waited until she turned 18 and was a legal adult, just continued.

Prosecutors filed criminal charges in May 2021 against Robert, Deborah, Josiah and Jonathan Bellar. Josiah Bellar, who was charged with three counts of rape and two counts of gross lewdness, pleaded guilty in November of that year to child assault and endangerment. Jonathan Bellar has been charged with violent sexual imposition, and Robert and Deborah Bellar have been charged with engaging in a corrupt pattern of activity, obstructing justice and endangering children. All three are scheduled to go to trial this spring.

That same month, Childs, 52, was charged with a felony tampering with evidence and obstructing justice. He has since confessing Mitigation for disorderly conduct because she knew about the abuse that took place in Bellar’s home, but helped protect the perpetrators by deleting phone records and making false statements to authorities. He lost his job but didn’t go to jail and, in return, agreed to testify for the prosecution.

But Bellar’s lawsuit brings up a series of vicious charges against Childs including intimidation, harassment and willful indifference to what’s going on inside Bellar’s home.

In addition to allegedly providing her parents with Bellar’s whereabouts after she was in foster care, Childs sexually harassed Bellar while she was underage, according to the lawsuit.

Once, while Childs was watching 14-year-old Bellar lift weights, he “whispered[ed] to her and say, ‘I’m sure you did that this morning’, implying that [Bellar] masturbated that day,” according to the lawsuit. He “often gave her ‘butt bumps’,” and once told Bellar he was trying to lose weight “so he could see ‘his shit,'” the filing continued.

Bellar’s lawsuit also targets the County of Athens, where the child services agency was repeatedly notified of abuse that occurred in Bellar’s home but allegedly did nothing.

“Athens State Attorney Keller Blackburn described Plaintiffs’ handling of the case as “an absolute systemic failure” and stated that ‘[Bellar] turned away by the authorities every time she tried to report this abuse'”, the lawsuit says, alleging that a staffing officer was “a close friend of… Deborah Bellar,” and was “involved in the cover up child abuse in Bellar’s house. “

After criminal charges were filed against the Bellars last year, James Bellar posted a response on his church’s website called the allegations “ridiculous” and “utter lies.”

Bellar’s attorney, Michael Fradin, did not respond to The Daily Beast’s request for comment. Attempts to contact James, Robert, Deborah, Jonathan and Josiah Bellar, as well as Jimmy Childs, by phone and email on Wednesday were unsuccessful.



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