A state lawmaker in Kentucky, US, Rep. Dan Johnson, has committed suicide after report emerged that he sexually assaulted a woman when she was 17.
Reports say the 57-year-old lawmaker, a preacher and a Republican, shot himself on a bridge in Mt. Washington, southeast of Louisville.
His body turned up on a riverbank near the bridge and the weapon reportedly was found at the scene.
Rep. Johnson took to Facebook on Wednesday to post about the accusations levelled against him, claiming they were “false” and “only GOD knows the truth.”
On Monday, the Kentucky Centre for Investigative Reporting published an account from a woman claiming that Johnson sexually assaulted her in the early morning hours of January 1, 2013.
The woman said she attended a party at his home on the night of the incident.
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She reportedly fell asleep on a sofa and woke up to Johnson kneeling over her, before she claimed he assaulted her.
The woman said she reported the incident but Louisville police closed the case without charges.
Johnson told reporters on Tuesday that the accusations were “totally false.”
But leaders of the state Republican and Democratic parties had called for the representative to resign.
His Facebook post added that PTSD “24/7 16 years is a sickness that will take my life, I cannot handle it any longer. IT Has Won This Life. BUT HEAVEN IS MY HOME.”
The post also read, “I LOVE GOD and I LOVE MY WIFE, who is the best WIFE in the world, My Love Forever! My Mom and Dad my FAMILY and all five of my kids and nine grandchildren—two in tummies and many more to come, each of you or a total gift from GOD, stay strong.”
Michael Skoler, president of Louisville Public Media, which owns the Kentucky Centre for Investigative Reporting, said everyone at the organisation is “deeply sad.”
“Our aim, as always, is to provide the public with fact-based, unbiased reporting and hold public officials accountable for their actions,” Skoler said.
“As part of our process, we reached out to Representative Johnson numerous times over the course of a seven-month investigation. He declined requests to talk about our findings.”
Sen. Rand Paul tweeted: “Just terrible news from Kentucky, on the passing of Rep. Dan Johnson.
“I cannot imagine his pain or the heartbreak his family is dealing with right now. Kelley and I pray for his loved ones,” he added.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
