How Could You? Hall of Shame-Jemel Johnson

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Hendersonville, Tennessee, foster father Jemel Johnson,47, was sentenced to 25 years without parole for aggravated rape of two foster daughters. He was arrested in December 2010 and convicted in May 2012. The sentencing was on July 13, 2012.

“A Sumner County jury found Jemel Johnson, 47, of Cole Drive, guilty of two counts of attempted sexual battery by an authority figure, one count of misdemeanor assault and two counts of felony aggravated rape in May.

Sumner County Criminal Court Judge Dee David Gay sentenced Johnson on Friday to 25 years without the possibility of parole to encompass all of the guilty charges.

Neither Johnson nor the victims spoke at the sentencing hearing.

“We went through a four-day long jury trial, so the judge had heard plenty of information,” said Assistant District Attorney Bryna Grant. “One of the victims [is in another city] and the other victim made her statements and did not go through any more court appearances.”

Grant said Johnson had admitted to engaging in oral sex with one of the girls and attempting to have intercourse with both of them but denied actually having intercourse with them or using force in the attempt.

During the closing arguments in May, Assistant District Attorney Jayson Criddle detailed the account by one of the girls of what happened on the morning of Dec. 4, 2010. Johnson started the sexual activity by allegedly asking her to perform oral sex on him, and when she refused, he pulled her head down to his genitals.

Criddle said that later in the morning Johnson asked both girls to model bikini thongs for him and then cornered them in one of the girl’s rooms and had sex with them at the same time.
Foster parents blamed victims

Jemel Johnson’s wife, Peggy Johnson, took the stand during the trial and said the girls provoked her husband, and so she blamed them for what happened.

“You’re blaming the victims?” Grant asked her at the time.

“Yes,” she said.

Grant said that Jemel Johnson also put most of the blame for what happened on the girls and never expressed remorse.

“That was quite obvious at the sentencing hearing,” she said. “The judge remarked that Mr. Johnson has accepted no responsibility and shown no remorse for his actions. He gave a statement to the state employee that prepared the pre-sentencing report. … During his oral interview with her, he clearly placed the blame on the victims.”

Following the allegations against Johnson, the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services froze placements by Omni Visions, the agency that placed the girls in the care of the Johnsons. Omni Visions manages 700 foster homes in the state. The freeze on placements was lifted last March after a thorough review of all their cases.

Therapy offered

Grant said the state and local agencies offer counseling services to victims of sexual crimes.

The younger girl is still a minor and still part of the foster care system, Grant said. The state is providing her counseling services. The older girl turned 18 since the rape took place and is no longer part of the foster care system.

“She aged out of the system; she didn’t have a family support to go back to,” Grant said.

But Grant said organizations like Ashley’s Place and Youth Villages are making their services available to her.
Johnson may appeal

Johnson’s attorney, Butch Moore, said on Monday they are looking at their appeal options but could not provide specifics on what they would argue.

“The first procedure [is to appeal] for a new trial or motion for dismissal” he said. “Until I review the transcript [of the trial], which is not available yet, it’d be speculative to say.”

Grant said she expects any appeals to be dismissed.

“I believe the Court of Criminal Appeals will deem it an accurate sentence,” she said.”

Foster parent gets 25 years for rape

[The Tennessean 7/16/12 by Alexander Quinones]

2010 Article
“Allegations of rape against a Hendersonville foster father has stopped foster care placements by one of the biggest providers of that service in Tennessee.

Hendersonville police got a call from the birth mother of one of the two teenaged girls staying with 46-year-old Jemel Johnson and his wife alleging the sexual abuse.

A detective from the Hendersonville Police Department went to Johnson’s home on Friday.

“He interviewed the children. After he interviewed the children, he collected some evidence from the home and then interviewed Mr. Johnson, who I think admitted to the crimes,” according to Sgt. Jim Vaughn.

The children where placed in the home by Omni Visions. The private provider has 900 foster children in 550 Tennessee homes. The company has worked with the Department of Children Services since 1991. Because of this incident, a freeze has been put on future placements by Omni Visions.

“We’ve searched our souls here to see how we could have stopped it,” said Omni Visions president Jim Henry.

Henry said the company followed all its own guidelines and state guidelines in regards to the Johnson placement.

“There are millions of things that happen before you put a child in a home. This is a terrible incident. We are flabbergasted that it happened,” Henry said.

According to Henry, Omni Visions puts prospective families through three to four months of training, checks all their references, does national and state background checks and makes three to four home visits before they are approved. Johnson passed all those requirements.

“It’s almost impossible to know every problem,” said foster care advocate Dorsell Martinez from the Tennessee Foster and Adoptive Care Association.

Martinez does not feel the freeze DCS has put on Omni Visions will have a catastrophic impact on future foster placements in Tennessee.

“It does stand to reason there will be some impact, but I don’t think enough to where the department can’t move forward without making sure the children they have to take into custody will be safe,” Martinez explained.

The two foster children who were staying with Johnson have been moved to another foster home.

Johnson now faces three counts of rape. A judge set his bond at $500,000 and he is in the Sumner County Jail. Johnson’s first court date in January 5, [2011].”
Foster Father Arrested On Rape Charges

[News Channel 5 12/8/10 by Chris Cannon]

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