Ex-Clark County deputy faces up to 18 months for sex crime

An ex-Clark County sheriff’s deputy who was scheduled to go on trial Wednesday on sex crime charges waived his rights to the trial and entered a guilty plea Tuesday, according to court records.

Marcus C. Johnson IV, 26, was charged with two counts of sexual battery after two Clark County jail inmates performed sexual acts on him in December. He was arrested in connection to the crimes on Dec. 31, and he resigned from his position as a deputy hours later, officials said.

He pleaded guilty to one count of gross sexual imposition, according to court documents, and is facing a maximum of 18 months in prison.

“The defendant will plead guilty to amended count one, the state will dismiss count two,” the document says.

A pre-sentencing investigation will also take place before Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on April 24.

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Clark County Prosecutor Dan Driscoll declined to comment Wednesday because Johnson has not been sentenced. Clark County Sheriff Deb Burchett could be reached for comment.

Johnson’s attorney released a statement following the plea.

“I think it’s a fair outcome and allows him to move forward in a more productive manner compared to what he was initially indicted for,” Laura Woodruff said.

A court affidavit shows Johnson exposed himself in the jail kitchen and asked an “inmate that she perform oral sex on him.” When questioned about that incident, Johnson reportedly admitted that he had oral sex performed on him by the inmate, the affidavit shows.

The inmate denied the act happened. During questioning, deputies said Johnson advised he also had oral sex with another inmate in the hallway bathroom by the roll call room, according to the affidavit.

“On Dec. 23, the camera shows (the inmate) and Deputy Johnson leaving the bathroom area, and Deputy Johnson reaching up and moving the camera to the right, so it would no longer show the bathroom door area,” the affidavit read.

“The sheriff’s office immediately opened a criminal investigation into these alleged actions and placed two employees on administrative leave,” Burchett said at the time.

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A Springfield News-Sun investigation revealed that Johnson was passed over by the Miami Twp. Police Department when he applied to become a police officer there because of questionable activity he admitted to during a polygraph test.

One of the lengthiest sections of the polygraph report is when officers summarized what Johnson told them about his sex activities.

The report says he told Miami Twp. police that while he was working as a police officer for Wilberforce University in 2016, he had sex with a woman in a closed fitness room on campus while he was off-duty.

Johnson also admitted to visiting what he called a “swinger’s club” in Dayton in 2016 to have sex.

He also admitted to police that in 2013, he gave a woman gas money in exchange for sex, officials said.

Johnson also told police during the polygraph exam that he watched pornography on his phone at work at least four or five times, the report said.

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office has launched an internal investigation into the matter, officials said.

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