James Edward Johnson, 72, Greenfield
HANCOCK COUNTY — A Greenfield man facing felony molest charges will spend decades behind bars after his case was settled via plea agreement this week in Hancock County Superior Court 1.
James Edward Johnson, 72, 1000 block of S. Morristown Pike, was arrested May 18, 2023 and charged with two Level 1 felony counts of child molesting and three Level 4 felony counts of child molesting from incidents in September of 2021.
According to the plea agreement, Johnson withdrew his plea of “not guilty” and entered “guilty” pleas for each of the three Level 4 felony counts he was facing.
For count 1, Judge D.J. Davis gave Johnson a nine-year term at the Indiana Department of Corrections (IDOC) with seven years to be executed and two years served on sex offender probation. For count 2, Johnson was given a nine-year term at the IDOC with seven years executed and two years served on sex offender probation. For the third count, Johnson received the same nine-year term with seven years to be executed and two years served on sex offender probation.
All the sentences will run consecutive to each other for a total term of 27 years, with 21 years to be served in prison and six years suspended to sex offender probation. Johnson was also issued a “no contact” order for the victim, and he must register as a sex offender for life. The remaining two Level 1 felony molest charges were dismissed as part of the plea deal.
According to a probable cause affidavit, an official from the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department was dispatched to a county home May 14, 2023 for a report of a child molestation. The deputy met with the juvenile victim’s father, who reported that he talked with his daughter, who was 12 years old at the time, after finding disturbing text messages between the child and Johnson on her cell phone.
The report stated the victim told her father Johnson would touch her inappropriately and force her to kiss him. Officials noted the information was given to the Indiana Department of Child Services and the juvenile victim underwent a forensic interview at Zoey’s Place May 16, 2023.
During the interview, the victim told officials Johnson had touched her inappropriately many times when she would stay at his home despite her telling Johnson “no.” The victim revealed Johnson told her that he wanted to have sex with her but he could not because “he was fixed,” the report stated.
The affidavit noted that the victim’s father also saw messages on his daughter’s phone where Johnson told her to “delete” their messages and keep their conversations “a secret,” the report stated.
There were several messages, officials noted in the report, that were “not appropriate” for a then 70-year-old man to send to a 12-year-old, officials said in the affidavit.
When officials first interviewed Johnson, he told them he “does text the juvenile victim” and tells her that she is pretty, but only did so to build her ego, the report stated.
