A 41-year-old Ventura County man is facing 90 years to life in prison after being convicted by a jury for sexual abuse and rape of a child, authorities announced Tuesday.
Jameson Paul Johnson was convicted on 13 felony counts of sexual offenses against his victim on Mar. 1, according to a news release from the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.
The abuse, prosecutors said, dated back to 2005 after the 41-year-old met the victim when she was 10 years old. Both transients in Ventura County, the abuse started when the young girl was 11 and continued for four years.
It was in 2016 that the victim reported the sexual abuse, when Johnson, in prison at the time, began sending threatening letters to the girl and her mother. An investigation was launched by detectives with the Ventura Police Department that resulted in the 41-year-old’s arrest in 2018.
Of the 13 felony counts, Johnson was convicted of six counts of forcible lewd acts on a child, six counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and one count of forcible rape.
“The jury also found true special allegations connected to various counts, including allegations that the crimes involved great violence, the victim was particularly vulnerable, and Johnson engaged in substantial sexual conduct with the victim,” the release noted.
Supervising Deputy District Attorney Rafael Orellana, who prosecuted the case, thanked the jury for their care during deliberations on the case.
“I am deeply grateful to the jury,” he said. “Although justice for this victim was long delayed, their verdict means that it was not ultimately denied. [Johnson] will be held responsible for the horrific crimes he perpetrated against the victim.”
Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on April 25.