By JOSH COTTON

jcotton@timesobserver.com

A Warren man facing a litany of sexual assault charges was held for court as the result of a Tuesday preliminary hearing.

Michael D. Johnson, 47, 115 Canton St., was charged by City of Warren police back in February.

Police were dispatched to Johnson’s residence on Feb. 11 for a report of a male threatening self-harm and spoke with Johnson “who advised,” per the affidavit of probable cause, “that his life had just changed as two female victims were reporting alleged sexual abuse.”

A relative of Johnson confirmed the allegations and police transported Johnson to Warren General Hospital after he “continued to make comments of self-harm.”

Later that day, two females arrived at the city police station to file a complaint.

One victim said she was abused from the ages of 6 to 16 and alleged that Johnson forced her to engage in oral sex “weekly” and at “multiple locations in Warren County.”

Police then spoke with the other victim, who reported abuse from the age of 8 to 17. She said that Johnson “made her engage in sexual intercourse” as well as oral sex also weekly and at multiple locations.

That victim told police that Johnson “acknowledged his actions” on a phone call with her grandparents present. The grandparents confirmed that account.

According to the criminal complaint, the abuse allegedly occurred between 2001 and 2013.

He faces charges including rape of a child, statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and indecent assault among others.