Ashland man arrested on charges of child exploitation at Ashland school

Children’s World Montessori School employee Craig A. Johnson pleads not guilty to three charges, remains in custody

Ashland.news staff report

Authorities are asking for information about possible additional victims after an alleged case of child exploitation occurred at Children’s World Montessori School in Ashland, according to a news release from the Ashland Police Department issued Thursday.

Craig Albert Johnson, 68, of Ashland, was arrested July 30 and booked into the Jackson County Jail on charges of using a child in a display of sexually explicit conduct, encouraging child sexual abuse in the first degree and invasion of personal privacy in the first degree. He pleaded not guilty to all three charges on Aug. 2, court records show. Johnson remained in jail Thursday on $250,000 bail, according to jail records.

The case came to the attention of authorities on July 19 when a report of possible sexual exploitation of a 5-year-old child was made to the Central Point Police Department, Ashland police said. Investigation yielded additional instances of child exploitation at the school and Ashland police were called into the investigation, the news release said.

All of the children allegedly victimized by Johnson are female. Anyone with information pertinent to the investigation is asked to contact Det. Lacie Six of the Ashland Police Department at 541-482-5211. Reports can also be made via the anonymous tip line at 541-552-2333 or by email to [email protected].

Aside from the three current charges, Johnson had no criminal record in Oregon, a check of court records showed Thursday.

Additional charges may be added as the investigation continues. In addition to the Ashland and Central Point police departments, the Southern Oregon High Tech Crimes Task Force and the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office are also working on the investigation.

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