PARIS – A 47-year-old Bethel man charged with molesting two girls was sentenced Friday in Oxford County Superior Court to 18 months in prison as part of a plea deal.

Timothy P. Belmont must also register as a lifetime sex offender and serve three years probation, during which he must take part in a sex offender evaluation and counseling. He is to have no contact with the girls or their family, and have no contact with girls under the age of 16 except supervised visits to relatives.

Belmont was accused of sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl and her 8-year-old sister between February and April 2008. He was indicted last August on five counts of gross sexual assault and five counts of unlawful sexual contact.

Last November, he pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful sexual contact in exchange for serving 18 months of a 20-year sentence and receiving credit for the nine months he had been in jail since his arrest in April 2008.

Assistant District Attorney Richard Beauchesne asked that Belmont serve the full 18 months.

Defense lawyer George Hess asked that Belmont be released for time served. He said Belmont had been working toward receiving his general education diploma while in jail and also took religious education courses.

Jewel Clark of Bethel said she had known Belmont for four years and was never given any reason to suspect him of abusing children.

“I find him a kind and extremely considerate person,” she said.

Belmont maintained his innocence.

“I feel bad for all the stuff they went through,” he said. “But honestly, I didn’t do anything.”

Justice John Nivison said he was impressed with the work Belmont had done in jail and called him a “model inmate.” However, he added that “significant harm” had been done to the two girls, and said he likely would not have accepted the plea agreement were it not for his behavior in jail.

According to a memorandum filed with the court by Hess, Belmont has waived extradition to Rhode Island, where he was given a suspended two-year sentence for cocaine possession in 2006. Hess said Belmont expects that his probation will be revoked on that matter and he will serve that two-year sentence.