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Man jailed for alleged sex abuse

A Canton Street man has been jailed stemming from allegations that he repeatedly sexually assaulted two juvenile females over the period of a decade.

Michael D. Johnson, 46, was charged by City of Warren police earlier this week but arrested on Friday.

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.

Police report that the victim also disclosed the abuse to her mother.

“The mother advised that she has previously asked (the victim) if this conduct was occurring as a family relative brought it to her attention,” the affidavit states. “The mother stated that the victim denied sexual abuse and became upset.”

Johnson faces a litany of charges including two counts each of rape of a child, statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse among other offenses.

He was arraigned Friday morning by District Judge Raymond Zydonik and placed in the Warren County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 24, at 11 a.m.

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