Correction appended.
Jimmy Childs, former Athens County Sheriff’s Office deputy, pleaded guilty July 1 to disorderly conduct charges, according to a news release from Athens County Prosecuting Attorney Keller Blackburn.
In May, Childs was charged with tampering with evidence and obstructing justice following the discovery that he deleted a record of a phone conversation with Robert Bellar while a search warrant was being executed on Bellar’s property.
According to the release, Robert Bellar and his wife, Deborah, are charged with participating in corrupt activities and endangering children in regards to sexual abuse.
As a result of Childs’ guilty plea, he was immediately dismissed from his position at the Athens County Sheriff’s Office and was required to give up his Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy certificate, according to the release.
Childs also agreed to testify for the prosecution in the cases against the Bellar family.
“His actions clearly made it where (he) couldn't be an officer anymore,” Blackburn said. “And I'm glad that we were able to quickly resolve that, ending his law enforcement career, ensuring he never works as a police officer again.”
Correction: A previous headline of this article stated that Childs pleaded guilty to obstructing justice and tampering with evidence, when he only pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct. Though the disorderly conduct charge did include the tampering with evidence and obstructing justice charges, he only pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct. This article has been updated to reflect the most accurate information.
