Emails corroborate allegations against Jaysen Bell

Foster father abused of abuse:
Lifeway agency placed children in 'dream home'
William Weathers, Cincinnati Enquirer, Oct. 20, 2006, Metro pg. 1C.

AMELIA - A longtime Amelia foster father has been charged with sexually abusing two boys who were in his care. Jaysen W. Bell, 31, of the 1200 block of Beechwood Drive, was charged Wednesday in an eight-count indictment by a Clermont County grand jury.

Bell is charged with rape, three counts of sexual battery, gross imposition and three counts of sexual imposition.

The charges involve two boys - one from Warren County and one from Butler County - who were placed in the foster home by Lifeway for Youth, a private firm that handles foster cases under contract with child protection agencies, Amelia Police Chief Jeffrey Sucher said Thursday.

The charges cover offenses that, according to the indictment, occurred at Bell's residence from July 2003 through June 2006.

The investigation was under way during the August search for 3-year-old Marcus Fiesel and the subsequent murder indictment of his foster parents, David and Liz Carroll. They also were recruited by Lifeway, which came under severe criticism for inadequate screening of applicants.

A state investigation of Lifeway's performance is continuing. The state also is investigating how much caseworkers knew about the Carrolls' background and whether the children were being properly monitored.

Lifeway and Butler County children services officials have said they did nothing wrong and that the Carrolls duped everyone.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services is expected to release the results of its investigation next week.

Amelia police began an investigation in June after one of the boys - who was no longer in the Bell residence and is now in a permanent foster home - confided in a Goshen police officer who attends the same church, Sucher said.

"The boy had enough courage to come forward in June," said Amelia Officer Jeff Wood, who investigated the allegations.

The Goshen officer contacted Amelia police and an investigation began. It included the execution of a search warrant at the Bell residence, Sucher said. E-mails between Bell and the two boys found on a computer corroborated some of the boys' allegations, the police chief said. The other boy and three girls who were in the Bell residence as foster children were removed in June, Sucher said.

Butler County Children Services Board cooperated with the investigation, said Judy Stadler, director of intake.

"We certainly believed this had occurred and we were involved with police all along from the beginning," she said. The boy was among 10 Butler County foster children placed with the Bells since 2000. None was placed since 2005, Stadler said.