A California pastor and massage therapist is facing multiple felony charges for allegedly sexually abusing two children, and investigators suspect there are other victims.David Johnson, 58, pastored the now-defunct Live Oak Christian Fellowship in Oak View, approximately 70 miles northwest of Los Angeles. He also operated Lifespring Bodywork, a mobile massage business, according to the Ojai Valley News.Johnson, an Oak View resident, has been charged with four counts of lewd acts upon a child and two counts of continuous sexual ...
A California pastor and massage therapist is facing multiple felony charges for allegedly sexually abusing two children, and investigators suspect there are other victims.
David Johnson, 58, pastored the now-defunct Live Oak Christian Fellowship in Oak View, approximately 70 miles northwest of Los Angeles. He also operated Lifespring Bodywork, a mobile massage business, according to the Ojai Valley News.
Johnson, an Oak View resident, has been charged with four counts of lewd acts upon a child and two counts of continuous sexual abuse. He also faces special allegations of substantial sexual conduct with victims being younger than 14 years old.
He was booked Aug. 24 into the Ventura County jail, where he remains without bail. He pleaded not guilty to all charges Aug. 26. A bail hearing is today.
Johnson is accused of abusing the victims between 2013 and 2019 in Ojai and Oxnard, which are both within 20 miles of Oak View. He had access to the children through a “familial relationship,” according to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.
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Bryan Clifton, Johnson’s attorney, declined to comment on the matter to the Roys Report (RR)but stated that his client “continues to deny these allegations.”
At his arraignment, Clifton described Johnson as a “pillar of the community for an extended period of time” and said the “allegations are severe, but a lot of this is old,” according to the Ojai Valley News.
Authorities began investigating the case in June after Johnson’s wife, Tana, contacted the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, according to the newspaper. She filed a domestic violence restraining order against her husband June 11 and filed for divorce on July 20.
She also contacted California’s Child Protective Services to report her husband. Despite that, he shared 50% custody with visitation for four of his children, she told the Ojai Valley News.
“The court system absolutely failed these kids,” the mother said.
Officers arrested Johnson without incident during an Aug. 24 child custody exchange at Libbey Park in Ojai, the newspaper reported.
Investigators believe Johnson may have abused other victims. Anyone with information about the case or potential other victims is encouraged to contact Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Detective Michael Loth at 805-384-4745.