Man charged with 13 sex offenses

Aug. 12--A Gamewell-area man has been charged with 13 sex offenses in reported incidents that involved children, the Gaston County Police Department said.

Christopher Gordon Johnson, 49, of Pinnacle Court was arrested Monday after an investigation identified five people who say he sexually abused them between 1996 and 2008, according to a press release. All of the accusers are now adults.

Johnson is charged with second-degree rape, two counts of first-degree sex offense with a child, first-degree rape, two counts of first-degree statutory rape of a child, two counts of first-degree statutory sex offense with a child and five counts of indecent liberties with a child.

No further information was released.

Fredrick Motley, who lives near Johnson on Pinnacle Court, said he thinks Johnson has lived there with a woman for several years, but he doesn't know either of them.

He said that two detectives came to Pinnacle Court last week and watched Johnson's house, apparently waiting for someone to come home. They eventually talked to the woman who lives at the house.

On Monday, sheriff's deputies came, but it appeared that Johnson didn't come to the door, Motley said. They came back hours later, and there was an ambulance with them, Motley said. He said he saw Johnson walk down to the ambulance.

Johnson was taken to Caldwell Memorial Hospital and was later released to Gaston County police, the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office said.

Motley said that it bothers him that someone who lives so close to him has been accused of such serious crimes.

"I've got grandkids," he said. "I think, you know, people should be told."

Johnson's bond was set at $1 million secured.

The investigation is continuing, and police ask that anyone with information about the case contact Detective B.T. Dalton at 704-866-3320 or Gaston Crime Stoppers at 704-861-8000.

Johnson previously has been convicted on felony charges including manufacturing a Schedule VI controlled substance and trafficking a Schedule VI controlled substance, but not on any sex crime charges, according the N.C. Department of Public Safety.

Reporter Kara Fohner can be reached at 828-610-8721.

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