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Child Rapist Gets Life Sentence in Belmont County

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — A Bellaire man will spend 15 years to life in prison for the repeated rape of a young girl.

David Edward Kerns, 39, of Bellaire was sentenced to life in prison for the 2001 rape of a child. The prosecution noted the victim was a girl who was 8 years old at the time and said multiple incidents took place over a span of time.

Belmont County Common Pleas Judge Frank Fregiato also cited Kerns’ lengthy criminal record and the high risk that sex offenders will repeat such crimes.

“I sentence this sickening monster to life imprisonment,” Fregiato said. “He shall spend the remainder of his life in prison. Based upon the law in effect at this time, he will not have the possibility of parole until 15 years.”

Fregiato spoke about the shocking nature of the crimes.

“Is this real? Can this be true?” he said. “One reads this and one is astounded by the facts. And then I get this correspondence from the victim.”

He described the abuse of trust and the emotional and psychological pressure Kerns used to compel the victim to keep the crimes secret, as well as Kerns’ attempts to convince his victim that such behavior was normal.

“He said, ‘You couldn’t tell anyone because they wouldn’t believe you and they would take you away,'” the judge said to the victim.

The victim also chose to speak to Kerns.

“For eight years you took advantage of me. I did not know any better,” she said. “I thought it was a good thing. After a while, I knew it was wrong. You gave me nightmares.”

She also spoke about the lasting impact of Kerns’ crimes, adding that she is recovering with family support.

“I am moving on with my life. I am definitely not alone. My family is together and strong,” she said. “I couldn’t be any more grateful. Because of them, I realize me telling is the best thing. I hope you get therapy.”

Belmont County Prosecutor Dan Fry expressed his satisfaction with the life sentence.

“My office has successfully handled a number of sexual abuse cases, and they all center around a violation of trust. Youngsters are the most vulnerable in our society and, for that, deserve the most protection,” Fry said. “While these victories give us great relief, we are always reminded of the trauma suffered by the victims. It is the job of my office to see that we can finally give a strong voice to those sex abuse victims who are often in a position with little or no power.”

Fry spoke highly of the victim and her family in this case and their ability to work with his office to see that this outcome was achieved.

“Their willingness to fight back made all the difference,” Fry said, noting the collaboration between his office and the sheriff’s department.

“Their efforts and teamwork have ensured … that this offender will never victimize anyone else.”

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