Man gets prison for raping youth worker

A judge sent a former resident of a facility for troubled youth to prison for raping a female clinical intern there.

NORRISTOWN » Calling the crime “chilling,” a judge sent a former resident of an Upper Dublin facility for troubled youth to prison for raping a female clinical intern at the facility.

“The nature of this crime is chilling … As a clinical intern she simply wanted to help. This poor young woman was the victim of one of the most horrific experiences anyone can have. He brutally raped her,” Montgomery County Judge Steven T. O’Neill said on Thursday as he sentenced Naseer Johnson to a total of 13 years and 4 months to 40 years in state prison.

Johnson, now 20, pleaded guilty to felony charges of rape, aggravated assault and aggravated indecent assault in connection with the Dec. 23, 2015, attack at The Villa, a residential facility for abused and neglected children, at 701 Bethlehem Pike. Johnson was 18 at the time of the attack.

Johnson also pleaded guilty to a separate charge of simple assault in connection with his attack of another woman at the Horsham Library on Babylon Road about 6:30 p.m. Nov. 17, 2015. Horsham police said Johnson assaulted the woman in the women’s bathroom by pulling her hair and banging her head against the floor.

The screaming victim was able to escape and other library patrons identified Johnson as the man they saw exiting the women’s bathroom after the assault.

The judge said the prison sentenced was warranted because Johnson was “high risk” to reoffend.

“There is an absolute undue risk this defendant will commit another crime,” said O’Neill, who tacked on an additional three-year probationary period so that Johnson will be under court supervision for a total of 43 years.

Johnson, who was declared to be a sexually violent predator, also must report his address to state police for the rest of his life.

Assistant District Attorney Erika Wevodau argued for a lengthy prison term against Johnson, citing the “heinous” crimes he committed and the need to protect the public. “He is a very opportunistic and violent offender. He is highly problematic and impulsive. He strategically places himself in positions to take advantage of vulnerable individuals. He is a serial offender,” Wevodau argued.

Testimony revealed Johnson had been placed at The Villa for behavioral issues.

Defense lawyer George M. Griffith Jr. pointed out to the judge that Johnson was the victim of a sexual assault and spent most of his tumultuous childhood in foster care.

“He was essentially forgotten about as a youngster,” Griffith argued, who left the sentence up to the judge’s discretion. “It was our job to highlight the fact that this wasn’t a guy that had the best childhood. Actually, he’s had one of the worst childhoods that we’ve seen.”

Griffith was assisted by Jonathan Allen, a certified legal intern for the public defender’s office, who said Johnson is remorseful.

“He suffered a lot in his past and he basically wasn’t given a chance,” said Allen, referring to Johnson. “He has shown rehabilitation and he accepted responsibility. He’s praying for the victims.”

Court papers did not reveal Johnson’s place of residence prior to his being placed at The Villa.

Upper Dublin detectives alleged Johnson physically assaulted and then raped the woman in the cafeteria area of the school building between 4:30 and 5 p.m. Dec. 23.

An investigation began when township police were dispatched to the facility for a report of a sexual assault. The victim had been employed at The Villa as a clinical intern since August 2015, according to detectives.

“(The victim) reported that the sexual assault occurred in the cafeteria of The Villa following a counseling session she had with Naseer Johnson,” Upper Dublin Detective Michael B. Lebby alleged in the arrest affidavit, adding the victim also reported that Johnson strangled her during the as-

sault.

The victim reported that after Johnson pulled her off of the stairs he began striking her repeatedly to the back of her head and that she made several attempts to escape his grasp but to no avail as he “repeatedly banged her head against the cafeteria wall,” according to the criminal complaint.

Johnson then forced the woman to the floor and sexually assaulted her. The victim told police that Johnson told her, “If you scream I’m going to kill you,” court papers indicate.

“(The victim) reported that she stopped resisting because she feared that Naseer Johnson would kill her,” Lebby alleged, adding that during the assault

the woman feared Johnson was going to kill her after he raped her.

When police confronted Johnson about the assault, he confessed, according to the criminal complaint.

The woman was treated at a local hospital for her injuries after the assault.

“This assault has impacted her dramatically. She has moved across the country to avoid the risk that she feels…and the horror that she remembers from that incident. However, despite what has happened to her, she is becoming a very successful professional and is a very strong woman,” Wevodau said.

The victim of the Horsham attack also was traumatized and has relocated “because she does not feel safe to be in the area fearing that one day he will be released from custody,” Wevodau added.