Minister charged with sodomy out on bail

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Minister James Bell, 47, has been charged with sodomy, sexual abuse of a juvenile.

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A minister of a Shelbyville church who has been jailed for sodomy and sexual abuse of a juvenile is out on bail.

James H. Bell, 47, pastor of Refuge Temple Church of God in Christ, bonded out of jail on Monday, after his bond was reduced from $50,000 to $25,000 cash at his pretrial hearing.

Bell had confessed to having unprotected sex with a 15-year-old while knowing that he was HIV positive, according to court records.

In addition to third-degree sodomy, Bell is also charged with first-degree sexual abuse and first-degree wanton endangerment, according to Natalie Wilson with pretrial services.

Bell also admitted that he had sex with the teen but did not tell him or her that he was HIV positive.

"He confessed that he knowingly withheld the fact that he is HIV positive from the juvenile and did not use protection during these encounters," the arrest report said.

Trooper Ron Turley said in December when Bell was arrested, that KSP Post 12 had received a call Tuesday from Shelby County Detention Center officials, who said that Bell had come to the detention center to confess to some crimes that he had committed.

According to a report prepared by Turley, Bell told trooper Steve Spurlock that he had had sexual encounters with a juvenile on multiple occasions in the summer of 2007 and that they had occurred in Shelby and Logan counties.

Tuesday night, troopers and detectives executed a search warrant at Bell's residence on Village Lane in Shelbyville.

He was arrested and lodged in the detention center, where he had remained until making bail on Monday.

Turley said that third-degree sodomy is classified as deviant sexual intercourse with a minor less than 16 years of age, when committed in the context of an adult in position of authority. It is not known if the teenager is male or female.

Third-degree sodomy is a Class D Felony, punishable by a prison sentence of 1-5 years.

Bell is scheduled to appear in Shelby Circuit Court on Sept. 11 at 8:30 a.m.