Star News
November 24, 2009
http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20091124/ARTICLES/911249966/1004
A Leland pastor accused of child sex abuse is not allowed to live with children under 18 years old, a Brunswick County Superior Court Judge ordered Tuesday.
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| James Johnson has been charged with three counts of indecent liberties with a child, two counts of first-degree sex offense with a child and one count of attempted first-degree rape of a child. |
James T. Johnson will likely have to move out of his home by Monday because he lives with young children.
Johnson, 46, has been charged with three counts of indecent liberties with a child, two counts of first-degree sex offense with a child and one count of attempted first-degree rape of a child.
The girl, now 13, was in elementary school when the alleged incidents occurred over a three-year period.
The StarNews does not name victims in sexual abuse cases.
Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Ola Lewis made the ruling during a hearing in which an assistant district attorney had requested Johnson's bond be revoked.
Johnson was released from jail and put on house arrest earlier this month after members of his congregation posted his $100,000 bond. His bond was originally set at $250,000 but was lowered by Chief District Court Judge Jerry Jolly.
Lewis said she inquired about the bond after reading a StarNews report about the amount being reduced. Jolly's ruling was outside Lewis' established bond policy, in which specific offenses receive specific bond amounts, she said.
But she didn't feel comfortable ruling on the bond revocation and decided to leave that decision to another Superior Court judge.
Assistant District Attorney Meredith Everhart argued Johnson has violated the terms of his bond by preaching at his church, Olive Branch.
But one of Johnson's defense attorneys, James Payne, disagrees. Both Payne and Everhart, on the advice of Lewis, agreed to meet with Jolly to decide what the judge's intent was for the terms of the bond.
But Lewis said she also ruled the pastor cannot have contact with anyone under 18. In an earlier court hearing, an attorney said Johnson lives with his wife, her daughter and grandson and a foster grandchild.
Johnson will have another bond hearing Dec. 14.
Several members of the congregation are supporting Johnson, saying he is innocent. But a relative of the victim said she and two other women attended Tuesday's hearing to support the teen.
Shelby Sebens: 343-2076
On Twitter.com: @ShelbySebens
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