Dixon man sentenced to 67 years in prison for sexually abusing child

DIXON – A Dixon man on Thursday was sentenced to almost 70 years in prison – the maximum sentence allowed under the law – after pleading guilty to sex assault and sex abuse charges filed against him in 2019.

Jason E. Johnson, 52, was sentenced in Lee County Circuit Court to 60 years in prison for predatory criminal sexual assault of a child and a consecutive seven-year prison sentence for aggravated criminal sexual abuse. He must serve 85% of the 60-year sentence and 50% of the seven-year sentence. The sentence was handed down by Judge Theresa Friel-Draper.

Johnson was arrested on the charges in May 2019, seven months after Dixon Police Department investigators learned of an allegation of sexual abuse against Johnson. During that investigation, officers learned from a child forensic interview conducted at the Shining Star Children’s Advocacy Center in Dixon that Johnson had sexually abused and assaulted a girl who was between the ages of 11 and 12, and that he had done so multiple times, Lee County State’s Attorney Charles Boonstra said.

Those charges all involve the same victim, and they were alleged to have occurred in 2013.

Johnson was indicted in May 2019 on four counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a victim younger than 13 and five counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a victim younger than 13.

Boonstra said Friday that as that case was being prosecuted, investigators became aware of reports of other possible victims, with allegations that each had been abused or assaulted by Johnson at ages varying from 4 to 17 years old.

After further investigation, Lee County prosecutors charged Johnson on Sept. 29, 2020, with two more counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse in connection with a 2011 assault in which the victim was at least 13 years old but younger than 17, according to charging documents. He pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse in August 2022, and was sentenced in June 2024 to 180 days in the Lee County Jail, four years of probation and a $25,000 fine. The other charge was dismissed.

Johnson then pleaded guilty Sept. 24 to two of the nine charges filed in 2019; the other seven were dismissed. Under Thursday’s sentencing order, Johnson will be given credit for 2,093 days served and must register as a sex offender, according to court documents.

Also, during Thursday’s hearing, the court heard testimony about the investigation from Sgt. Detective Aaron Simonton. Boonstra said Johnson was the subject of multiple investigations in various jurisdictions where women came forward and described being abused by him, Boonstra said. Several came forward with victim impact statements Thursday.

Boonstra said he was proud of the bravery and fortitude shown by the women who provided impact statements.

“Their voice was not silenced, and now they have become survivors,” Boonstra said. “With the imposition of the maximum sentence, hopefully this sends a message that preying on the most vulnerable of society will not be tolerated.”

Lee County Assistant State’s Attorneys William Fawkes and Stephanie Sasscer prosecuted the case.