40 year sentence handed down for child rape

A longtime San Saba resident is now serving a 40-year prison sentence in a child rape case that involved attempted bribery. 

424th District Judge Evan Stubbs sentenced David Lynn Johnson, 53, to 40 years imprisonment for aggravated sexual assault of a child on Wednesday, June 22 in Burnet County Court. Johnson also was accused of bribing the child victim to repeal her statement and testify fasley in court. Stubbs exacted a 25 year sentence for the guilty verdict on tampering with a witness charge. The sentences will run concurrently. 

The charges in the indictment stemmed from offenses committed in 2012 against a 12-year-old girl known to Johnson. At the punishment phase of trial, the prosecution presented evidence of an aggravated assault with a shotgun committed against the child’s mother, a prohibited weapons charge in which the defendant manufactured an explosive device, an assault against a girl in which the defendant had a dating relationship, as well as another sexual assault committed against a female acquaintance. The state also presented evidence of Johnson’s efforts to intimidate some of the state’s witnesses in an attempt to prevent them from coming to court to testify against him.

Johnson elected to waive his right to a jury trial and instead chose trial before the court. The state prosecution consented in the waiver of a jury trial and presented its evidence to Stubbs after Johnson pled not guilty to both charges. The case was tried by Assistant District Attorney Stacy Burke and Kristen Sharpe. Johnson was represented by Tommy Adams.

Burke said Johnson “is an extremely violent person who used his anger and rage to intimidate, manipulate and hurt many people in the San Saba community.” 

Burke further stated that she believes the sentence handed down by Stubbs sends a strong message that “preying on children and using violence against others will not be tolerated in our district.”