New Albany Pastor on Trial for Sex Abuse

By Matthew Glowicki
The Courier-Journal
October 30, 2014

http://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/crime/2014/10/30/new-albany-pastor-trial-sex-abuse/18144361/

A teenage boy testified Wednesday that he waited two years to tell anyone that his pastor, Isrom Johnson, had sodomized him because he was worried about damaging his family's relationship with the pastor and church community.

Three sexual encounters allegedly occurred between the now 18-year-old alleged victim and Johnson, 35, who at the time of the alleged abuse was pastor at Prince of Peace Missionary Baptist Church in New Albany, Indiana.

Johnson is charged with three counts of second-degree sodomy.

The teen was actively involved in the church community and had a good relationship with his pastor of eight years at the time of the alleged incidents. His mom was a deaconess, a sister sang in choir and his grandma ushered at the church.

"We did everything," the teen told the jury from the stand.

Johnson asked the teen to help him clean his Louisville apartment one day in the spring of 2010, the teen testified during the first day of trial Wednesday. Johnson told the teen, who said he was tired from the chores, he could lie in Johnson's bed.

The next thing the teen knew, Johnson "woke me up and started feeling on me," the teen said. Johnson and the teen took off their clothes and Johnson sodomized the teen, he testified Wednesday. After, the teen went to the living room to watch television and later spent the night, he testified.

The following day, the teen testified, Johnson told him to keep what happened in his apartment to himself.

Prosecutor Alicia Gomez said the pastor knowingly abused his position of trust.

"The pastor capitalized on the fact (the alleged victim) was a young boy who was questioning his sexuality," Gomez said.

Later that spring, Johnson and the teen exchanged oral sex in between afternoon church services, the victim said. A third time that spring, the teen said he returned to the pastor's house and was again sodomized.

Defense attorney Charles Hagan, Jr. asked the teen Wednesday why he continued to go to the apartment and why he waited two years to report the abuse to someone after previously denying any sort of abuse when various family members asked questions.

"I refused to tell (my mom), so I kept going," the teen said. "I was scared about what was going to happen."

The teen finally told his parents in summer 2012 after they discovered gay pornographic material in his possession, his parents testified in court.

Gomez asked the teen's stepfather if gay material is something the family would embrace.

"I would, but his mother would have a really hard time with that," the man testified.

Johnson became the pastor of Prince of Peace in 2005, according to a 2012 Courier-Journal story citing the church's now-defunct website. Prince of Peace, founded in 1970, was originally located in Louisville before it moved to New Albany.

The trial resumes Thursday.

Reporter Matthew Glowicki can be reached at (502) 582-4989.