ATHENS, Ohio — An Athens County couple has pleaded guilty in a sexual abuse case involving their children.
The prosecutor’s office said 55-year-old Robert and 50-year-old Deborah Bellar pleaded guilty to engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity and endangering children on Thursday.
The judge sentenced Deborah to four years in prison for engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity and three years for the second charge to run concurrently.
Robert was sentenced to three years on both charges to also run concurrently with each other.
The case made headlines in 2021 when Serah Bellar, one of the couple’s 18 biological children who was reported missing in 2020, posted to social media a detailed account of the alleged sexual abuse she endured involving her two brothers and her parents did nothing to stop it.
An investigation would result in the arrest of her parents and her brothers, Josiah and Jonathan Bellar.
In November, Josiah plead guilty to charges of felonious assault and child endangering. The case against Jonathan is still pending. He is charged with gross sexual imposition.
The investigation also led to charges being filed against former Athens County Sheriff’s Office deputy Jimmy Childs.
Childs was accused of deleting evidence of a phone call he had with a member of the family and providing false information during the course of the investigation.
He pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and surrendered his law enforcement certificate.
In an exclusive interview with 10TV, Serah blamed her parents for letting it happen and said she wanted her parents to pay for the crimes of a "childhood that was robbed from her."
"I wanted to see them suffer too because no parent or sibling who are supposed to protect you should put anybody through that,” she said.
According to the prosecutor’s office, some of the allegations against those charged go back to as early as 2008.
Documented reports exist from 2017, 2018 and 2020 to Athens County Children Services and the Athens County Child Advocacy Center that sexual assault was occurring in the Bellar home. However, no action was taken.
Last month, Serah filed a lawsuit against her parents, the county and Childs. Also named in the lawsuit is her uncle, James Bellar and his church in Waverly.
In her post, Serah claimed that the family attended Dove Outreach, where procreation among siblings was taught. James told 10TV the accusations against him are untrue and he plans to represent himself in court against the allegations.