Austintown man sent to prison for molestation
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
jgoodwin@vindy.com
YOUNGSTOWN
An Austintown man is headed to prison after pleading guilty to molesting two young girls he knew.
Eric Johnston, 51, of Howard Street, appeared Thursday in the courtroom of Judge James C. Evans of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court on four counts of gross sexual imposition and one count of rape, all against juveniles under age 10. The combined charges could have sent Johnston to prison for life.
Johnston, represented by Atty. Paul Conn, entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors amending the rape charge to gross sexual imposition.
Under the agreement, he pleaded guilty to all five charges of gross sexual imposition but maintains his innocence. Johnston said he pleaded guilty because it would be difficult to avoid conviction.
Judge Evans sentenced Johnston to six years in prison — a prison term agreed upon by prosecutors and defense counsel. He also must register as a sex offender every six months for 25 years upon his release from prison.
Natasha Frenchko, an assistant county prosecutor, said prosecutors were willing to make the plea deal to spare the children from being forced to testify in open court. She said making the children relive the incidents could be as harmful as the actual events.
Frenchko said the girls, both 8 when the incidents took place in 2006 and 2007, told their mother that “Grandpap,” as Johnston was called, had touched their private areas on several occasions. One girl, Frenchko said, told authorities Johnston told her she would have to get used to the touching, then threatened her with death if she told.
Frenchko said Johnston took a polygraph test to answer questions concerning the situation and failed.
The incidents took place over the course of summer breaks when the girls were spending time at Johnston’s home.
The mother of the girls addressed the court before Johnston was sentenced. She said her oldest daughter is now suffering extreme emotional problems and is in and out of counseling for depression.
“Justice needs to be served for her and her younger sister,” she said.
Johnston, in a statement to the court before he was led away in handcuffs, said he feels sorry for the girls and hopes the truth will someday come out. He said he hopes the girls will get the help and protection they need.
“I will keep fighting to prove it, and some day, I will prove my innocence,” he said.