Two men were sentenced in Superior Court Monday after juries found them guilty of separate drug and sex crimes earlier this year.
Jonathan Hart, 29 years old of Portland, Ore., was sentenced to 11 years in prison for misconduct involving a controlled substance in the second degree, and six years, to serve concurrently, for the same charge in the third degree. A jury found Hart guilty of the charges in July.
According to court documents, Hart was arrested in December 2013 when the Ketchikan Police Department served a search warrant on Hart’s residence on Madison Avenue. Police had been investigating Hart and two other non-residents under suspicion of dealing drugs. The search revealed approximately 18 grams of heroin, 35 grams of methamphetamine and more than $3,000 in cash, as well as digital scales and plastic baggies. Hart also had a warrant for his arrest issued out of the state of Oregon for other drug charges.
In an unrelated case, a local jury found Donnie Bell, 46 years old of Ketchikan, guilty of online enticement of a minor, three counts of distributing indecent material to a minor and three counts of possession of child pornography.
According to court documents, Bell started a relationship with a 15-year-old girl via text messaging in February 2013 after she expressed concerns about her mental health online. Court documents say their relationship eventually became romantic. The two exchanged erotic images of themselves, despite Bell knowing she was younger than 16 at the time. Superior Court Judge Trevor Stephens said the crime had a substantial negative impact on the victim,.
Bell was arrested April 4, and went to trial in September. Bell’s defense argued the majority of their relationship was non-sexual and that the two care deeply for each other.
Judge Stephens called the crime disturbing, saying, “This is not a situation of two star-crossed lovers being stopped by adults.”
Bell was sentenced to 54 months in jail, with 18 months suspended and three years to serve. He also was sentenced to five years’ probation and is required to register as a sex offender for 15 years after his release.
