By Brandi Makuski

A 32-year-old Rosholt man faces another prison sentence after being charged with sexually assaulting a child under the age of 16.

Darrell L. Johnston was arrested on Aug. 24 after a girl, then 15, and her mother notified Stevens Point police that the girl had been assaulted earlier that day.

Johnston had contact with the girl because he was dating a friend of the girl’s mother at the time, and the couple was temporarily staying with the family, the complaint said.

According to the criminal complaint, Johnston and the girl were alone in a car outside a local hospital waiting for the girl’s mother to return from an unrelated medical visit. While in the vehicle, the girl told police Johnston started talking about his genitals, and calling her “sexy” and “babe”, which she said made her feel uncomfortable. He then allegedly pulled his pants and boxer shorts down to expose himself to the girl, then pulled his pants back up as the mother emerged from the hospital.

Later that day, Johnston and the girl were again alone while out running errands, using the mother’s vehicle. The girl told police Johnston pulled into a wooded area, later determined to be a disc golf course on Patch Street. The girl told police she was “so scared” and felt like she had no choice but to follow Johnston’s order when he told her to get into the back seat.

Once there, she said, Johnston “pretty much forced her to undress,” according to the complaint, and he then assaulted her. When the girl told Johnston he was causing her physical pain, he stopped, and the two put their clothes back on.

After they left the park, Johnston stopped at the home of sex offender — which Johnston told the girl as they pulled into the driveway, something police later confirmed — and went inside to borrow gas money, while the girl remained in the car. After receiving a phone call from the girl’s mother, who was upset because she did not know where he daughter was, Johnston took the girl home.

Throughout the day, Johnston told the girl to “not tell anyone what happened”, according to the complaint.

Later that night, while the family had dinner at a local fast food restaurant, the girl mentioned Johnston took her to a sex offender’s house. This prompted the girl’s mother to ask if anyone had touched her, and the girl then disclosed some of the events from earlier that day.

The mother then brought the girl to the police department to file a report. The girl was unable to relay events to the male officer on duty, so she was interviewed by a female detective and taken for a sexual assault exam.

When interviewed by police later that day, Johnston said he knew the girl was only 15, and initially claimed he only kissed the girl with her permission. When police said they knew something more than just kissing occurred, he admitted to exposing himself, and performing oral sex on the girl. Johnston said he “did not do anything [the victim] did not consent to”.

Johnston was previously convicted of first degree child sex assault in Portage Co. in 2004. Judge John V. Finn sentenced him to six years in prison, followed by nine years of extended supervision.

As a repeat offender, Johnston faces up to 40 years behind bars for the charge of sexual assault of a child under the age of 16. Two counts of exposing genitals to a child carry up to three-and-a-half years each.

Johnston is currently being held on a $10,000 cash bond.