HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — A former Warner Robins police chief is in jail again. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says George Johnson was arrested Thursday, July 27, on child sexual abuse charges.
The 79-year-old's charges include sodomy and sexual exploitation of a child. The GBI says this all started in 2022 and happened in Houston and Pulaski Counties.
According to their news release, someone filed a complaint with the Houston County Sheriff's Office alleging Johnson abused a teenage girl. The sheriff's office asked for the GBI's help investigating since the alleged crimes happened in two different judicial circuits.
Johnson was Warner Robins Police chief in the late 1980s and early 1990s until he went to jail for a different crime. We went back into our archives from 1993 to see what people in town had to say at the time.
"Hate it for them. They've got to do their time. Maybe they'll get out, try again," one man said.
"It's awful it happened. That's all I can say," another woman said.
"It's pretty cut and dry. I think they got what they deserved," said another man.
According to court documents, a jury convicted Johnson of attempting to obstruct city business, extortion and lying before a federal grand jury in 1993.
He was sentenced along with then-Mayor Edward Martin and former police Major Gary Frost, for recording a council member in a, "Compromising position with a woman who was not his wife."
The documents go on to say the three used the video to blackmail the council member to try and get him to step down. We spoke to Johnson after his sentencing in November 1993.
"Were you surprised at the severity of the prison term?," 13WMAZ asked him.
"To say the least, yes. Yeah, I was surprised," he replied.
As for the most recent charges, the GBI says they're still under investigation and would not release any additional information. We requested a copy of Johnson's arrest warrant from the Houston County Magistrate Court hoping to learn more. They have not responded.
Houston County District Attorney William Kendall says he'll likely prosecute Johnson with Oconee Judicial Circuit District Attorney Tim Vaughn. Both said they could not comment on the case since it's still pending, and the GBI is still investigating.