Longtime Bellaire track coach and educator Shawn Valloric currently resides in the Belmont County Jail on a $150,000 bond for 10 counts of pandering obscenity involving a minor.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE – Longtime Bellaire track coach and educator Shawn Valloric was in Belmont County Eastern Division Court on Tuesday morning for his initial appearance.

During the appearance, Valloric was advised of the charges against him and his rights. He faces 10 felony counts of pandering obscenity involving a minor.

Judge David Trouten scheduled a preliminary hearing for Thursday in his court.

Belmont County Prosecutor Kevin Flanagan said that the hearing was originally scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on Thursday but was moved to 1 p.m. due to the length of time that the preliminary hearing might take.

He added that the difference between an initial appearance or an arraignment is that during an arraignment the defendant is called upon to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty.

“The reason why it’s called an initial appearance is because it is where the court advises you of the charges and the rights, but you do not enter a plea because the court does not have jurisdiction to accept the plea,” Flanagan said. “The only time you can enter a plea in or on a felony is in the Court of Common Pleas – not in the lower court.”

He added that Thursday’s preliminary hearing is to see whether or not the case will be allowed to proceed further to the grand jury.

“A preliminary hearing is a hearing wherein evidence must be presented to the court in order to determine whether there is enough evidence to get the matter to the grand jury. We call that a bind over,” Flanagan said. “The preliminary hearing will either be called upon to present evidence, or the defendant will have an opportunity to waive that proceeding.”

Valloric was arrested on Feb. 26 after Belmont County Sheriff James Zusack’s criminal investigation unit received information on that afternoon from the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children that Valloric was in possession of child sexual abuse materials.

Less than eight hours after the tip, Zusack’s unit investigated, gathered evidence and took Valloric into custody.

Valloric currently resides in the Belmont County Jail where his bond is set at $150,000.