A Ventura transient man was sentenced to prison for the years-long sexual abuse of a young girl.
Jameson Paul Johnson, 41, from Ventura, was sentenced to 62 years to life in state prison for the sexual abuse and rape of a child, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office announced on Tuesday.
Johnson met the young victim in 2005 when she was 10 years old, authorities said. Both he and the girl were homeless at the time in Ventura.
The sexual abuse began when the girl was 11 years old and continued until she was 15, court documents said. The abuse finally stopped when Johnson was arrested for making criminal threats against the girl and her mother.
In 2016, the victim reported the history of sexual abuse to the police when Johnson sent her threatening letters from prison.
At that point, Ventura Police began an investigation that eventually resulted in Johnson’s second arrest involving the case in 2018.
On March 1, 2024, Johnson was convicted of 13 felony counts, including six counts of forcible lewd acts upon a child, six counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child, and one count of forcible rape.
The jury and judge also found true special allegations and enhancements including that the crimes involved great violence, the victim was particularly vulnerable, and Johnson engaged in substantial sexual conduct with the victim.
In addition to his prison sentence, Johnson is required to register as a sex offender.
“The defendant’s crimes in this case were unusually violent and brutal,” said Rafael Orellana, the Supervising Deputy District Attorney who prosecuted the case. “The lengthy prison sentence imposed will help ensure the safety of the victim and community and appropriately reflects the horrific and sadistic crimes which the defendant perpetrated against the child victim. I am grateful to the jury and judge for their roles in securing justice for the victim.”