COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A former pastor at a Columbus church could spend up to the next 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to rape charges.
George Bell, 73, pleaded guilty last week to two counts of first-degree felony rape. In exchange for his guilty plea, two additional rape charges as well as two gross sexual imposition charges were dropped.
He was sentenced to 10-15 years in prison for the first count and five years for the second; the sentences will be served consecutively, meaning his total sentence amounts to 15-20 years.
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The charges against Bell stem from the sexual abuse of a child under the age of 9, according to the criminal indictment. Police said that between February 2020 and February 2024, Bell raped the child at least four times and had sexual contact with the victim between February 2024 and June 2024.
Bell is a former pastor at Anchor Baptist Church on the Southwest Side. He resigned from the post in June 2024 before the church was made aware of the accusations against him. An announcement on the church’s website said Bell had resigned for “personal reasons.” Bell founded the church in July 1989, according to a now-deleted biography on its website…