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Christopher
Anthony Johnson |
HUNTINGDON (April 10) During a
preliminary hearing in Carroll County
General Sessions Court, Judge Larry Logan
determined that sufficient probable cause
existed to bind Christopher Anthony Johnson,
42, North Randle Street, McKenzie, over to
the May 12 session of the Carroll County
Grand Jury for allegedly raping a
16-year-old female student at Huntingdon
High School.
Johnson, a former janitor at HHS and
employed by Knoxville-based GCA Services
Group as a custodial supervisor at the
school, is accused of forcibly pulling the
alleged victim into a janitor’s closet at
the school and raping her in December, 2007.
Logan’s decision came on the heels of
lengthy testimony involving the alleged
victim, the victim’s minor schoolmate, and
HHS Principal Mike Henson and Guidance
Counselor Misha Adams.
During examination by Jackson-based defense
attorney Jeff Mueller, the student stated
that Johnson had made two separate advances
on her prior to the alleged rape in
December, 2007.
During testimony, the alleged victim said,
“He (Johnson) was a friend of my family. I
dated his son and we attended church
together. I had known him for about three
years. I saw him almost everyday at school
when I walked in the hallways or ate lunch
in the lunch room.”
“Sometimes he would call me over to where he
was standing to say hello and ask me how
things were going. He kissed me on the cheek
once. Days later he called me over to him as
I was walking to the bathroom with my
friend. All at once, he grabbed my arm
roughly and pulled me into the janitor’s
closet and closed the door. I didn’t yell or
anything because everything happened so
fast. He got in front of the door so I
couldn’t get out and started kissing me on
the lips. I tried to step back in an attempt
to get out. He let me out, but told me not
to tell anyone,” she said.
She continued, “When I got out, I went to
the bathroom. Then, I went and found one of
my friends. She asked me what was going on,
but I didn’t tell her what happened. The
whole thing made me sad.”
She added, “I saw him again at third block
and he handed me a note from a short writing
pad telling me not to tell anyone. I let my
friend read the note and she tore it up and
threw it away.”
The alleged victim stated that while having
lunch with her friend on January 7, she and
her friend had to go to the bathroom.
She said, “After the first incident, I was
scared and had my friend follow me
everywhere. The hallway was empty when I saw
Mr. Johnson standing at the door of the
janitor’s closet. He called me over to him.
I didn’t want to go over there, but I
finally did.”
She continued, “As my friend stood beside
me, He (Johnson) put his arms around my
waist, lifted me up and put me in the closet
with him and closed the door. He blocked the
door again and began kissing me and touching
my body. I was wearing sweatpants. I stepped
back and started to say something but he put
his tongue down my throat, pulled my pants
down and placed two fingers inside me. It
happened so fast. I pulled my pants up as he
moved against the door. I put my hand on the
door in an effort to get out. He took my
hand and made me put his hand on his
private. I moved once more for the door. He
let me out, and I went immediately to the
bathroom nearby and told my friend
everything.”
She further stated that Johnson allegedly
gave her a note at the last home basketball
game asking her how she liked the experience
and if she thought she was going to become
pregnant.
Asked by attorney Mueller why she had denied
the incident during a meeting on January 9
with school guidance counselor Adams and
Principal Henson, the alleged victim stated
that she was scared of Johnson and had
intended to quell a rumor that she and
Johnson were involved romantically.
She added that she told the truth regarding
the alleged incident during her second
meeting with Adams and Henson on February 15
because she had a nightmare about she and
Johnson marrying and felt Johnson needed to
be punished.
During cross examination, Mueller pointed
out that the alleged victim’s testimony
seemed to change regarding dates and times
of the alleged incidents.
Sternly, Mueller asked her, “You do know
what the truth is, right? These are serious
charges…felony charges. This is serious
stuff.”
HHS Principal Henson testified that he had
been made aware of rumors involving Johnson
and the alleged victim by Johnson when
school started back after Christmas break.
“Mr. Johnson informed me that the rumors
were untrue and I told him I would
investigate the matter,” He said.
He added, “Based on what Mr. Johnson told me
and the victim’s and the victim’s friend’s
denial of any occurrence, the school closed
the case. We did not pursue it any further.”
Mueller asked, “Have children ever lied to
you at school before.”
Henson replied, “Yes.”
He continued, “On February 15, the alleged
victim came to Mrs. Adams and recanted her
previous account and said that an incident
had occurred. Mrs. Adams Called the
Department of Children’s Services and I
called the Police. The mother of the alleged
victim may have already called the police,
because they were enroute.”
After identifying a statement of the
February 15 meeting he had provided
Huntingdon Police Lieutenant Johnnie Hill,
Henson told Mueller, “I didn’t want to talk
about the incident with the student due to
its alleged nature-we have Mrs. Adam’s there
for that purpose.”
Adams testified that the alleged victim
approached her on February 15, recanted her
previous statements and explained that she
had been violated in a sexual manner.
Adams recalled, “During the second meeting,
the student was not as visibly upset. When I
heard her statement, I immediately took
action. We called the proper authorities and
I placed her in an offset room for
protection while she wrote her report for
the police.”
In closing, Mueller, addressing the judge,
said, There are a tremendous amount of
inconsistencies with the victim’s and her
friend’s testimony and no physical evidence.
I ask the case be dropped for lack of
probable cause.
After deliberation, Logan said, “The purpose
of this hearing is not to find innocence or
guilt. It is to determine if a crime
occurred.”
He added, “We cannot expect people to know
every date and time of an occurrence when
they did not expect to ever be called as
witnesses.”
He concluded, “I noticed that the alleged
victim shook a great deal during her
testimony, and I find probable cause to bind
Mr. Johnson over to the Grand Jury for May
12 at 9:00 a.m. so they can determine what
to do with this matter from that point.” |
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