Man Charged With Holding Teen Captive For Over 3 Years

By Samantha Abernethy in News on Aug 29, 2012 6:20PM

Steven Johnson / St. Clair County Sheriff's Department

A southern Illinois man has pleaded not guilty to holding a teenage girl captive for three years, repeatedly sexually abusing her and fathering a child. The woman, now 19 years old, told investigators she was subjected to beatings and sexual assaults, and when she tried to escape, Steven Johnson, 25, brought her back at gunpoint.

A SWAT team raided the Washington Park, Ill. home and arrested Johnson and his mother Owida Johnson, 54. Steven Johnson pleaded not guilty Monday, and he faces several drug, weapon and prostitution offenses, in addition to charges he had sex with the teenager after she went missing in 2009. Owida Johnson also faces charges of child endangerment.

The woman says she was held captive and used as a sex slave, but neither Johnson has been charged with kidnapping. According to the AP, police are still investigating some of the woman's claims.

Police Chief David Clark has told The Associated Press the teen met Johnson socially and went to his home voluntarily but wasn't allowed to leave. Clark said the three-day lag between when the teen made her report to police and the raid on the home was largely spent trying to substantiate her story - which Steven Johnson's relatives reject.

His family has told local newspapers that the teen was dating Steven Johnson and she would attend family reunions and leave the house, but she always came back.

The woman's 2-year-old son was taken into protective custody. Owida Johnson was released from prison late Monday night and says she'll try to gain custody of the child. However, Johnson faces charges of child endangerment related to the two-year-old and her 16-year-old son. Police describe the home as having "unsafe and unsanitary living conditions," including "animal feces and vermin in the home and spoiled food in the refrigerator."

Owida Johnson told the Belleville News-Democrat she doesn't know why the woman would say she was held captive.

The Belleville News-Democrat writes:

"I was good to her. I helped her. She said she was (previously) living in a place with no water, lights or gas. She told me that her siblings and other family members did not care about her," Owida Johnson said.

"A couple of months ago, I told her that she needed to get her identification, Social Security card and birth certificate so she could find herself a place to live. I told her that she couldn't live with me forever," she added.