Billionaire Gets 4 Months In Prison For Sexually Assaulting 12-Year-Old Daughter

After three years of pre-trial litigation that went all the way to the Wisconsin Supreme Court — twice — a Racine County billionaire who had been facing felony charges he sexually assaulted a girl pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors.

Wisconsin Journal Sentinel reports: The victim in the case had moved to North Carolina, said she wished the case would be dismissed, and fought legal efforts to make her come to Wisconsin to testify.

Samuel Curtis “Curt” Johnson III, was charged in 2011 with indecently touching a girl when she was between ages 12 and 15. Johnson, 59, is an heir to the S.C. Johnson household products company fortune.

In a court hearing Friday, Johnson agreed to plead guilty to fourth-degree sexual assault and disorderly conduct.

Assistant District Attorney Robert Repischak asked for the maximum sentence — nine months in jail on the sexual assault, and 90 days for disorderly conduct, consecutive, to make a year in the county jail.

Michael F. Hart, one of Johnson’s attorneys, said maximum terms should be reserved for “maximum defendants,” repeat offenders or those who try to disrupt the prosecution of their case. Johnson, he noted, has no prior record and has led an otherwise productive life.

Circuit Judge Eugene Gasiorkiewicz said he was “troubled” by the state recommendation, since he’s never seen prosecutors seek maximum sentences for a first-time offender before, and imposed the term the defense suggested.

Johnson was sentenced to four months in jail with Huber privileges after 60 days and fined $6,000. He will not have to register as a sex offender.

Johnson had rejected any probation sentence, something defendants can do if they think it might be a more onerous punishment.

Several of Johnson’s relatives, including his mother, were present, though none spoke. The victim’s mother was also present, but also made no statement to the court.

Frustrated prosecutors filed a “Justification for Amendment of Charges and Proposed Resolution” to explain the plea deal. Repischak detailed the increasing lack of cooperation by the victim and her mother, who each had separate lawyers. The girl had challenged a court proceeding to force her to come from North Carolina, where she now lives, to testify.

This is just a disgusting negligence of the law. So if you have a lot of money you can get away with sexual assault, incest, rape, murder and every other punishable law on the books. Must be nice! 

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