JENNINGS COUNTY — A former Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. auditorium director and drama club coach has pleaded guilty in Jennings Circuit Court to an amended felony count of child solicitation.
John Johnson, 52, of 2233 Crump Lane, Columbus, pleaded guilty Wednesday to a Level 5 felony charge of child solicitation, according to court records. The charge was originally filed as a Level 4 felony.
Jennings County Prosecutor Brian Belding said the charge was lowered from Level 4 to a Level 5 felony as part of the plea deal.
The six-year sentence is within the advisory sentence for the felony with the judge having discretion on the probation portion of the sentence.
Belding said he didn’t believe Johnson had any previous criminal history. That was confirmed by Johnson’s defense attorney, Russell Johnson, Franklin, (no relation to defendant) who said John Johnson had undertaken a lot of treatment prior to Wednesday’s hearing and did not have a criminal history.
John Johnson was sentenced to 2,160 days in prison, with 2,152 days suspended and placed on probation for 2,152 days probation, according to the court records. The 2,160 days represents about a six-year sentence based on a 365-day year. He was given credit for six days already served in the Jennings County Jail prior to sentencing. He is required to register as a sex offender as part of the sentence and must report to the probation department monthly, court records state. He was assessed $2,799 in fines and fees associated with the case. John Johnson’s probation, if completed successfully, would end in December 2029, court records state.
He was sentenced by Jennings Circuit Judge Murielle S. Bright, who had earlier set aside days for a jury trial in November 2023, which was later continued.
According to the probable cause affidavit, John Johnson was accused of trying to arrange a sexual encounter with a fictitious 14-year-old boy in North Vernon on Aug. 12, 2023.
A probable cause affidavit stated that the arrest stemmed from a Predator Catchers Indianapolis (PCI) sting operation that was conducted on the dating app Grindr and other messaging platforms over the course of at least several weeks.
PCI president Eric Schmutte set up a decoy profile on the app, posing as a fictitious 14-year-old boy, and had been communicating with an adult male who was using the alias name of Joe. Court documents state Schmutte had arranged to meet Joe at the North Vernon Walmart Supercenter, near the intersection of State Road 3 and North Second Street, to go somewhere for a sexual encounter.
After they met, video posted on the PCI Facebook page shows Schmutte following John Johnson, showing him digital photos and continuously questioning him about his intentions until he left the store, where deputies with the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department took him into custody near the store’s main entrance.
One of the photos Schmutte received from Joe was of John Johnson wearing the same clothes that he was wearing inside the Walmart.
Upon being notified of the allegations, Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. terminated John Johnson’s employment at North, where he was an hourly employee, BCSC officials said. BCSC released a statement at the time that John Johnson was not a certified teacher and the charge did not involve any students at BCSC.
