Lexington Park man gets eight years for assault of girl

Bell had been charged with sex offenses

A 32-year-old Lexington Park man was sentenced to eight years of active time on Friday, Feb. 4, for misdemeanor assault in a case in which Circuit Court Judge Michael J. Stamm went way above the guidelines.

Joshua Nathaniel Bell was originally charged with misdemeanor assault and two counts of misdemeanor fourth-degree sex offense. The latter two were nolle prossed, or dismissed, as part of a plea agreement.

Assistant county attorney Sarah Proctor said the plea agreement was reached for the sake of a 12-year-old victim, Bell’s stepdaughter. “She would be traumatized at trial,” Stamm said.

Prior to sentencing, the girl’s father testified that she texted him in August 2020 about inappropriate sexual touching by Bell. He said she used to be a “happy, go-lucky child” but now is “scared, depressed and doesn’t trust anyone.” He added that she suffers from nightmares and flashbacks.

Adding to the complexity of the case, the girl’s father said her mother and grandmother didn’t believe her and “tried to get her to change her story.”

Proctor and the girl’s father said that the girl’s statements about the incidents were consistent and did not change.

Proctor said the incidents began when the girl was 10.

Proctor said Bell was previously convicted for a misdemeanor fourth-degree assault in Washington state against a 3-yearold child for forceful repeated spanking with a belt. He also was issued a protective order in regard to a 16-year-old whom he had a relationship with in 2009, Proctor said.

Noting the sentencing guidelines called for probation to two years, Proctor asked for at least five years.

Defense attorney Amber Lynn Wetzel noted that Bell served in the Army and spent time in Iraq and had gone through some mental health counseling.

Wetzel said a custody case involving the girl had not been decided. The girl’s father said that prior to the incident, he and his wife had 50-50 custody of the girl with her mother, but now he has custody.

Wetzel noted that Bell had been out on house arrest for the majority of the 407 days he was given credit for in the 10-year sentence. Two years were suspended.

Stamm, who required that Bell serve five years of supervised probation upon his release, noted that he could not order that Bell be placed on the sex offender registry for an assault.

Although Bell said he wants the girl to heal and the families to heal, Stamm noted that Bell did not say he was sorry.

“You were violent toward a toddler and a child in your home that you took advantage of,” Stamm said.

He ordered Bell to not have any contact with the victim and no unsupervised visits with anyone under age 18.