DUBLIN — Another former correctional officer at the Bay Area’s only federal prison for women has been sentenced for sexually abusing inmates under his authority, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
John Bellhouse, 40, a former resident of Pleasanton, was convicted earlier this year of two counts of sexual abuse of a ward and three counts of abusive sexual conduct.
On Friday, Bellhouse was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison, the Justice Department said in a news release. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez also ordered him to serve five years of supervised release when he leaves custody and to pay a fine of $25,500.
Bellhouse is one of eight correctional officers to have been charged with crimes involving sexual misconduct at Federal Correctional Institute Dublin and the latest to have been sentenced. All of the punishments so far have exceeded sentencing guidelines.
“Bellhouse violated his oath and abused the power given to him, all to victimize the people he was supposed to protect,” U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey said in a statement. “This sentence makes clear that the sexual abuse of inmates by guards will not be tolerated.”
Former FCI Dublin correctional officer Andrew Jones, 36, of Clovis, received the harshest punishment last month when he was sentenced to eight years in federal prison.
Prosecutors said Bellhouse victimized at least three inmates, starting in December 2019. The crimes occurred in the prison safety warehouse and office, as well as a cell.
Bellhouse coaxed his victims into complying with his demands by providing them with everyday items such as Starbucks coffee, yarn, jewelry and cleaning supplies, according to prosecutors. These items were considered contraband at the prison, and mere possession of them exposed the inmates to potential punishments such as solitary confinement.
The judge ordered Bellhouse to surrender on or before Feb. 2, 2024, to begin serving his sentence.
Source: www.mercurynews.com