Charles Johnson

FORT PIERCE — A former Fort Pierce Westwood High teacher and baseball coach will spend almost three years on probation on misdemeanor charges related to accusations he inappropriately touched two female students earlier this year.

Charles Johnson. Sr. pleaded no contest this morning in a hearing before Judge Robert Belanger as part of a plea agreement between prosecutors and Johnson’s attorney Richard Kibbey.

Johnson, who had taught and coached at Westwood for 30 years, was arrested on molestation charges in May after the allegations surfaced.

As part of the plea agreement, Johnson will have to relinquish his teaching certificate. The mother of one of the two girls addressed Belanger before he sentenced Johnson, saying she agreed with the plea.

“It’s the holidays,” the mother said. “And my daughter will get through this.”

A 15-year-old girl told sheriff’s investigators that on May 5, Johnson called her into a hallway, made a lewd comment and rubbed two fingers on the front of her pants, an arrest report said. He called her back into the hallway afterward and told her, “Don’t tell your mama. I’m only playin’,” the report said.

Two days later, according to the girl, Johnson picked her up from behind in class, grabbing her breasts in front of another student.

She reported the incidents to a school resource officer May 8, reports said.

The other girl, who is between 12 and 16 years old, told detectives Johnson had touched her April 29. She was in his class and was wearing a polo-type shirt with the buttons undone when Johnson allegedly grabbed her breast and told her, “Girl, you better button that up,” a report said.

The girl said Johnson told her not to tell her mother because he was just joking around. She also said Johnson had pinched her breast last year, according to arrest records.

Kibbey said Johnson was innocent of the charges but took the plea because he didn’t want to risk taking the case to trial.

“It is true that there are innocent people in prison now for crimes they did not commit,” Kibbey said. “I don’t think Mr. Johnson wanted to take that chance.”

Johnson, who has already served 142 days in jail, is expected to be released this afternoon. According to the agreement, he will spend two years and 233 days on probation.

His son, Charles, Jr., a former catcher with the Florida Marlins, said his father is happy to put the case behind him but is upset about having to give up teaching.

“I’m sure after 30 years he would have wanted to give up teaching the way he wanted to do it, by retiring,” he said.

This entry was posted on Friday, December 19th, 2008 at 2:05 pm and is filed under Stuart. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.