DAYTON DAILY NEWS                   Copyright (c) 1996, Dayton Newspapers Inc.DATE: Wednesday, December 4, 1996           TAG: 9612040229EDITION: CITY          SECTION: METRO TODAY PAGE: 1B SOURCE: By Benjamin Kline Dayton Daily News                          CHILDS' SENTENCE 30 MONTHS He could be free in a week    Former Dayton police Officer Charles F. Childs was sentenced to 30 monthsin prison Tuesday on drug charges that embarrassed the police department andcost him his job.   Counting time served and the automatic one-third reduction of time underOhio's former sentencing law, Childs could be free in about a week, hisattorney said.   Judge Barbara P. Gorman of Montgomery County Common Pleas Court sentencedChilds to 18 months for aggravated trafficking, six months for possession of acounterfeit controlled substance and one year for drug trafficking conspiracy.   The misdemeanor possession count runs concurrently with the two felonysentences.   Childs' attorney, Richard Skelton, called Gorman's sentence lenient, notingthat the potential sentence was a year more.   Skelton said Childs must go to the state Corrections Reception Center atOrient for about one week.   Childs will be kept in isolation, but not in protective custody. Skeltonsaid all persons entering the corrections system are isolated during theinitial orientation.   Childs has served 593 days, or about 20 months, since his arrest on chargesthat he and a West Dayton bike patrol partner, Eric Bailey, were dealing drugsand robbing drug dealers on their beat. In August, a jury found Bailey notguilty and found Childs guilty of the conspiracy charge, one of 17 countsagainst him. On Nov. 8 he pleaded no contest to the two charges reintroducedby the state.   Childs was fired Oct. 4. Convicted felons may not be police officers andSkelton said Childs probably would not seek reinstatement.   Bailey returned to work as a police dispatcher the day after the jury'sverdict.   LENGTH:   49 linesILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:          Charles F. Childs confers with his attorney, Richard Skelton, during          his sentencing hearing Tuesday.          PHOTO CREDIT:  SKIP PETERSON/DAYTON DAILY NEWSSUBJ: SENTENCE      POLICE OFFICER      DRUG TRAFFICKING NA: CHARLES F. CHILDS    JUDGE BARBARA P. GORMAN GEOG: DAYTON AT:  ENHANCER: ref8================================================================================ 7 of 41, 2 Terms                                                               Transfer complete. Press [RETURN] to return to Menu: