Johnston Bound over, by John Ford, Neosho Daily News [Missouri], October 17, 2006

Johnston Bound over

By John Ford
Neosho Daily News [Missouri]
October 17, 2006

http://www.neoshodailynews.com/articles/2006/10/17/news/01johnston.txt

After hearing testimony from one witness, Newton County Associate Circuit Court Judge Greg Stremel bound a Granby pastor over for trial.

George Otis Johnston, 63, the pastor of Grandview Valley Independent Baptist Church, faces nine felony counts child sexual abuse charges. A former member of Johnston's church, now 20, alleges the pastor fondled her breasts and genitals at least once a week for several years while she was a child, with some of the alleged contact occurring while he was tutoring the girl in algebra.

"He told me I needed to become one of his angels," the woman testified. "He said this was a way he would take care of me. He told me not to worry, that the Virgin Mary was not really a virgin when she had the Christ child, that a man of God had impregnated her, and he was a man of God."

George Otis Johnson writes a note to his attorney, Andy Wood, during a preliminary hearing Monday afternoon in Newton County Division II Associate Circuit Court Judge Greg Stremel’s courtroom. A 20-year-old woman testified Monday Johnston sexually abused her at least once a week for several years while she was a child. Johnston is the pastor of Grandview Valley Baptist Church in Granby.
Photo by The Daily News / John Ford

She later testified Johnston told her since a man of God impregnated Mary, "he kept her holy and pure."

She said she felt at the time the activities were wrong, but that she didn't tell her mother or any of her five siblings.

"Did George ever tell you not to say anything?" asked defense attorney Andy Wood under cross examination.

"No," the woman replied.

"Why did you not tell your mother?" Wood asked.

"I thought my Mom might not believe me," the woman replied.

"You didn't think your mother would believe you?" Wood asked.

"No, because he (Johnston) was a man of God," the woman replied.

The woman also said she considered the pastor to be her grandfather, as he was the spiritual leader of the community, although the two are not related. The girl said she first met Johnston when her mother married the pastor's step-son and the family moved to the church's commune, located in Newtonia at that time.

Several charges against Johnston were amended during Monday's preliminary hearing by Bill Dobbs, assistant prosecuting attorney for Newton County. Dobbs said he changed two of the felony counts from statutory sodomy to child molestation to accurately reflect the sexual contact which allegedly took place.

The woman testified that when she was 12 years old, she came to the pastor for counsel after she noticed she was developing stretch marks on her breasts. She said Johnston touched her breasts beneath her clothing, telling the girl he was "healing" the stretch marks.

Three other statutory sodomy charges were also amended Monday, from first degree to second degree. Dobbs said these changes were made because the victim was 14 years of age or older at the time of the alleged contact.

Johnston faces charges in two felon child sexual abuse cases. In the other case, he faces seven unclassified counts of first degree statutory sodomy and one charge of second degree statutory sodomy.

Those charges are based on allegations made by a 17-year-old woman, the sister of the 20-year-old who took the stand Monday. On Monday morning, Johnston was arraigned before Newton County Division I Circuit Court Judge Timothy Perigo, and entered a not guilty plea. A pre-trial conference was set for 9 a.m. Oct. 30.

Johnston also pleaded not guilty to the second set of charges Monday afternoon. An arraignment has been set for 1:30 p.m. Oct. 26.

Johnston is one of six church leaders in two area churches facing child sexual abuse charges, including sodomy, rape, child molestation and child endangerment.

Those charged include Johnston's nephew, Raymond Lambert, 51; his wife, Patty Lambert, 49; two church deacons, Paul Epling, 53, and Tom Epling, 51, who are Patty Lambert's brothers; and Tom Epling's wife, Laura Epling, age unavailable.

Stremel is also presiding in that case after McDonald County Associate Circuit Court Judge John LePage was disqualified. The McDonald County cases have not been bound over for trial, as Stremel is currently reviewing legal documents in the cases against the Lamberts, while the Eplings' cases are pending a Missouri Supreme Court decision on an unrelated case.

Seven felony counts were recently dropped against the Epling brothers after the defense argued that state law at the time of some of the alleged offenses imposed a statute of limitations on some of the charges. The brothers were accused of child sexual abuse incidents dating back to 1977. Five felony counts remain.