Pennsylvania man get 4-10 years in prison for repeatedly raping teen with CP

From Lancaster, Pa., online:

A Lancaster County judge sentenced a 47-year-old man to 4 to 10 years in state prison for repeatedly raping a teenage girl with cerebral palsy.

Mark Anthony Johnson, of Lancaster city, pleaded guilty in August to offenses that happened between April 2007 and June 2008 in the city and East Lampeter Township.

According to testimony before Judge Margaret C. Miller, Johnson raped the girl between 50 and 100 times, often at night while she was sleeping. The victim was 13 when the offenses began, according to testimony.

The victim, now 17, told Miller she agrees with the sentence, which was negotiated by Assistant District Attorney Karen Mansfield and defense attorney James Gratton.

She said she continues to deal with the aftermath of the crimes.

"I don't know who to trust anymore," she said.

Under Megan's Law, Johnson must register with state police for life after Miller deemed him a sexually violent predator Monday morning.

Dr. Robert Stein, a psychiatrist, testified that Johnson, based on his repeated assaults of the girl, showed a mental abnormality.

"These are deviant acts. At no time was there any change of conscience," Stein said. "The child was very vulnerable and was easily taken advantage of."

The doctor diagnosed Johnson's condition as incurable.

The victim sat next to her mother in the courtroom gallery while the crimes were discussed. Both later made statements.

First, the mother told Miller she is scared to let her daughter out of the house by herself for fear that someone will touch her or assault her.

"Can we really trust anyone now?" she said.

Johnson was known to the victim and her mother.

"We had grown to love Mark Johnson. This has shattered a lot of trust for us with anyone else," the mother said. "I long ago forgave Mark for what he's done. But I do ask that the court takes him to account for how this has shattered our family."

The victim said the incident has damaged her relationship with her mother.

"It's been a very traumatic experience," she said.

Johnson declined to speak in court, aside from whispering "no" when Miller asked for a statement.

The judge also placed him on probation for five years following his release from prison.

Lancaster city police Detective Aaron Harnish, a lead investigator, said he expects Johnson to serve more than the minimum 4-year prison sentence. Sex offenders often fail to complete all the programs required to be paroled, Harnish said.

"Defendants normally do 70 to 80 percent of their sentence," he said, referring to sex offenders sentenced to prison.