Jury Finds Cop Guilty Of Not Turning In Church Members Who Allegedly Abused Boy

A Corona police officer who withheld allegations that a 13-year-old boy was possibly being abused by the pastor and other members of her church was convicted today of failing to report suspected child abuse or neglect.

A six-man, six-woman jury took less than a day to reach a unanimous verdict on the misdemeanor charge against Cpl. Margaret Bell.

The 44-year-old defendant could face six months probation and fines when she's sentenced April 12 by Riverside Superior Court Judge Bernard Schwartz.

The case stems from the March 2012 arrests of three men affiliated with Heart of Worship Church in Corona. The defendants -- Lonny Lee Remmers, 54, Nicholas James Craig, 22, Darryll Duane Jeter, 28 -- are facing a slew of felony charges for allegedly threatening and physically assaulting a 13-year-old boy.

The youth was turned over to the men by his mother, also a member of the church, to be disciplined for sexually abusing his younger sister, according to prosecutors.

Bell, who was free on $2,500 bail during the trial, testified Wednesday that on March 26, 2012 -- three days before Remmers and his co-defendants were arrested and charged in the case -- an eccentric parishioner, Steve Larkey, had approached her during an evening service and told her that Remmers, the pastor, had "poked" the boy's chest with a pair of pliers.

According to Bell, she asked Larkey whether he had seen the incident, and he replied he hadn't.

"He was all over the map, complaining about everything and anything," Bell testified. "He was just rambling. Nothing was more important than the other. He didn't say, 'I want to report this. I need your help."'

The 23-year law enforcement veteran told Larkey to go speak with Remmers about his concerns, and the witness said he would. According to the defendant, she did not feel the encounter warranted immediate action and decided she would speak privately with the boy when she saw him at church later in the week.

Deputy District Attorney Will Robinson asked Bell why she didn't feel it was justified to speak with the youth right away.

"Because I know the church members' history ... and if it was that serious, Steve would not have agreed to go back and talk to the pastor," the defendant said. "I did not know the context of what Steve was talking about. Anything can be considered abuse."

Bell said she did not have "reasonable suspicion" to believe a crime had been committed.

Robinson presented mobile phone records indicating Bell either called or traded text messages with Remmers about 100 times between March 26 and March 29, 2012. However, the officer denied ever broaching the subject of Larkey's allegations and insisted that Remmers never disclosed anything potentially criminal to her.

Bell remains on paid administrative leave from the police department.

Remmers, Craig and Jeter are awaiting trial on charges that include kidnapping, making criminal threats and inflicting corporal injury on a minor.

The men allegedly strapped the boy to a chair in the bathroom of Remmers' home and pepper-sprayed him, according to testimony from a preliminary hearing in September.

Remmers alone is accused of pinching the boy's chest with pliers to punish him. --City News Service