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A Clinton man was arrested Wednesday on a multitude of charges involving two minors.
James Reginald Johnson, 53, of 4740 Bearskin Road, Clinton, was charged with two counts of soliciting prostitution of a minor; one charge of indecent liberties with a minor; and two counts of contributing to the deliquency of a minor.
According to officials at the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, because minors were involved in the incident information is limited, however, a source inside the department stated that Johnson tried to solict sex from two “juveniles” who declined; he then attempted to touch one of the juveniles in an inappropriate manner, before that juvenile got away.
Information indicates Johnson attempted to pay them for the sexual favor.
Warrants were immediately taken out for Johnson’s arrest. He was located at the Salvation Army Center/Store in Fayetteville and taken into custody Wednesday afternoon.
Johnson was placed in the Sampson County Detention Center on a $25,000 bond. Although he appeared in court on Friday, his next trial date was undetermined at press time.
To reach Doug Clark call 910-592-8137 ext. 123 or send e-mail to sisports@myclintonnc.com.
While you make good points Canes5, you speak with inside knowledge and come off bitter.
In my opinion, Jimmy Thornton has done a great job, as well as 99% of his force. One bad apple shouldn't take that away from any of their work and efforts. Everyone makes mistakes. While the deputies are held to a higher standard, mistakes will happen. It is life.
Let them do their work.
For you truthspoken, you do know you need permission to repost an article or a report, don't you? There are copyright laws that apply on these ... FYI.
Sampson DA won't prosecute deputy's cases
Posted: Today at 3:09 p.m.
Updated: Today at 6:59 p.m.
Clinton, N.C. — Sampson County's district attorney says he won't prosecute any cases handled by a sheriff's deputy.
Citing "false and misleading information" in Deputy Bobby Smith's reports, District Attorney Dewey Hudson said in a June 30 memo to all court officers that he would no longer prosecute any criminal cases the narcotics investigator has handled.
Hudson, the chief prosecutor in the Fourth Prosecutorial District, which also includes Duplin, Jones and Onslow counties, said he based the decision on two felony cases from Smith that he has had to dismiss.
"I found in one case, when a husband and wife were charged, he had misunderstood the law and that they probably should not have been charged," Hudson said.
In another case, Hudson said Smith falsely reported seeing a drug suspect running out of a building.
"I'm not going to sit here and say Mr. Smith is corrupt," Hudson said. "The quality of how he handled these particular cases concerns me so that I was compelled to do what I did."
Smith, who has been in law enforcement for 16 years and has worked in Sampson County since 2006, is currently on administrative duty.
"He's a good employee, but we are concerned," Sampson County Sheriff Jimmy Thornton said.
Thornton said he began his own inquiries after Hudson alerted him weeks before the memo.
Hudson will review all of Smith's cases from last year. It's unclear how many cases Hudson's decision will affect or if Smith acted illegally.
"We'll just have to wait and see," Thornton said. "Just because there may be a dark cloud out there, doesn't mean it's going to rain."
Reporter: Bryan Mims
Photographer: Michael Joyner