BROWNSTOWN
A 39-year-old Norman man received an 80-year prison sentence on three counts associated with child molesting reported in 2016.
Jason Levi Bellamy received that sentence Thursday from Jackson Circuit Judge Richard W. Poynter on two Level 1 felony charges of child molesting and a Level 4 felony of sexual misconduct with a minor. The sentence stems from Bellamy’s April 18 jury conviction.
Bellamy received 35 years on each of the Level 1 felonies and 10 years on the sexual misconduct charge. The sentences will be served consecutively in the Indiana Department of Corrections.
The sexual misconduct with a minor charge stemmed from an incident that took place after the child’s age changed.
Bellamy also was ordered to pay court costs, a $100 Child Abuse Prevention Fund fee and $500 Sexual Assault Victims Assistance Fee. He received 600 days of credit and 200 days of good time credit.
He faced up to 92 years had the full sentence been imposed.
Bellamy was arrested April 21, 2017, following an investigation by Indiana State Police Detective Andrew Mitchell into allegations of child molestation that had been reported by the Jackson County Department of Child Services.
In a November 2016 interview at Children’s Advocacy Center of Southeastern Indiana in Dillsboro, a child said she had been living with a relative in Crothersville when the incidents began.
Multiple incidents occurred for months throughout 2016, including sexual intercourse, according to court records.
The victim told police the sexual interaction with Bellamy became a daily occurrence for a couple of months.
During an interview with police Dec. 6, 2016, Bellamy denied having any sexual contact or inappropriate interactions with the child, but refused to provide a DNA sample or undergo a lie detector test.
At the time of his interview, Bellamy was living in Paris, Ohio.
Eight witnesses, including the girl, testified before the jury during the trial in April. Bellamy declined to testify.
Evidence included the victim’s testimony, social media messages and testimony from those who corroborated the accounts the child provided.
Prosecutor Mark Hollingsworth, who represented the state, said the sentence was a fair one.
“I think he earned it,” he said. “It’s an appropriate sentence for what this defendant did.”
Public Defender Jeremy Braunstein, who represented Bellamy, could not be reached for comment.