Amish man is sentenced in sex case
By MARK LAW, Staff writerSTEUBENVILLE - Crist Mullet, 29, of Bergholz was sentenced to six months in the Eastern Ohio Correction Center on Wednesday by Jefferson County Common Pleas Judge David Henderson for Mullet's guilty plea to three counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.
Mullet, a member of the Bergholz Amish community, also was designated as a Tier II sex offender, which requires him to report his address to the county sheriff every 180 days for 25 years.
Mullet, who pleaded guilty on Sept. 10, also will be in on probation for five years, with the first year being intensive probation.
County Assistant Prosecutor Frank Bruzzese said it was a "strange, odd and difficult case" because Mullet had confessed his sins more than four years ago to the Amish community and the victims forgave Mullet.
"For them, it was case closed and nothing else should be done. We are prosecuting the case against the will of the victims. The victims have objected to the prosecution of (Mullet) and him being punished," Bruzzese said.
He did note Mullet and the victims didn't have a clear understanding of sexual activities, but Mullet did know what he did was wrong.
Bruzzese said Mullet, since confessing to the Amish community, has not had any other sexual offenses and has lived crime free.
Bruzzese said from all his interactions with the victims and their families, there doesn't appear to be any psychological damage stemming from the incidents.
Defense attorney Frank Pierce said Mullet told him he felt like he had been tempted by the devil. He said the Amish believe the devil is a real person who tempts.
"He no longer feels tempted and has been welcomed back into the Amish community," Pierce said.
Henderson asked Mullet if he had anything to say prior to sentencing. Mullet responded, "I'll leave it in your hands. It is up to you."
The judge told Mullet that he may not have been aware the sexual acts he committed were against the law but he apparently knew it was wrong and asked for forgiveness from the Amish community.
Mullet faces more than four years in prison if he violates probation.
Bruzzese said the investigation in Jefferson County began after a separate investigation in Pennsylvania of a domestic case involving a custody dispute. Pennsylvania state children service workers interviewed the victims and learned of the sexual contact with the three minor siblings, he said.
Pennsylvania authorities alerted the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department and an investigation began here.
The custody case involving an Amish couple resulted in the sheriff's department raiding the Bergholz Amish community in September 2007 to take the children under court order. That incident led to the members of the Amish community filing a $35 million federal lawsuit against the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department claiming their civil rights were violated when armed deputies came to the community to serve civil papers in the custody case.
The federal lawsuit was filed two days after Mullet pleaded guilty to the three counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.
(Law can be contacted at mlaw@heraldstaronline.com.)
