BRIEF: Newton man sentenced to life for sexually abusing child

Newton Daily News - 4/23/2018

April 23--A 49-year-old Newton man was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences in prison for child sex abuse Monday morning in Jasper County Court.

A jury found Berlou Barnard guilty in March of four counts of second-degree sex abuse in a case involving an 8-year-old girl. At an enhancement phase hearing earlier this month, it was determined his three previous sexual abuse charges in Poweshiek County subject Barnard to a mandatory life sentence without parole.

Barnard was arrested in October 2015 after the mother of the victim reported to the Jasper County Sheriff's Office that her daughter had been sexually abused by Barnard. The child had visits with Barnard under the stipulation that Michelle Wortman, his live-in girlfriend, was present for supervision, according to court documents. The victim reported four incidents in which she was sexually abused by Barnard.

Wortman was sentenced earlier this month to four years in prison stemming from charges related to the case.

Contact Abigail Pelzer at 641-792-3121 ext. 6530 at apelzer@newtondailynews.com

___

Visit the Newton Daily News (Newton, Iowa) at www.newtondailynews.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.