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A Buford couple who
coordinated youth activities at a local church were arrested Tuesday
and charged with numerous counts of child molestation for allegedly
engaging in illicit sex acts with a 14-year-old girl whom they had
met through the church, authorities said.
Warrants for the
arrests of Marcus Ray Bellew and Janice  Bellew, both 21, allege the
couple had engaged in a kind of menage a trois with the teenager on
several occasions dating back to July. They rented rooms at the
Amerisuites Hotel in Duluth and the Howard Johnson hotel in Suwanee,
where they took the girl for nights of sex, authorities said. Other
incidents occurred at the couple's home on Springlake Circle and at
East Bank Park near Lake Lanier, police said.
The warrants
say the couple fondled the 14-year-old, performed oral sex with her
and had sexual intercourse while she watched. In addition, Mr. Bellew is accused of engaging
in sexual intercourse with the girl, police said.
The Bellews are each charged with 21
counts of aggravated child molestation and child molestation,
authorities said.
Gwinnett County police declined to say how
they discovered the crimes but said the Bellews apparently met the
14-year-old through the Mount Hermas Church of God, where they
helped coordinate youth activities.
"They met her there and
struck up some kind of relationship," said Gwinnett County police
public information officer Sgt. Jeff Sligar.
Marcus Ray Bellew works part time at
Crystal Computer Corp., a computer software business in Buford.
Chief Executive Officer John Shoemaker said Bellew came to him in August
wanting a part-time job because he said he was attending classes at
the University of Georgia.
Bellew later told his employer
that he had dropped out of school. Shoemaker said Bellew called two weeks ago to
say he needed a few days off because his grandmother was sick. He
has not seen him since.
Shoemaker said he learned about the
charges against Bellew on Tuesday when
sheriff's deputies appeared at the business with warrants for his
arrest.
"We were surprised, of course, but you never know
these days," Shoemaker said. A first appearance in court for the Bellews has not been scheduled.
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