YMCA Young Leaders Academy

“Milwaukee educator Ronn Johnson faces new child sex abuse charges.” Journal Sentinel (WI), 8/12/2013

An ex-charter school leader in Milwaukee now faces 23 criminal charges related to the alleged sexual abuse of five children of varying ages from 1991 through last month, according to a revised criminal complaint filed Monday.

Ronn Johnson, 46, who appeared Monday in Milwaukee County Circuit Court for his preliminary hearing, had first been charged with 14 felony counts alleging he assaulted three brothers, now ages 16 to 18, who were former students. Two men have come forward since the initial July 31 charges with abuse allegations, the new complaint states.

Johnson, of Brown Deer, was vice president of education for the Midwest region for Universal Companies, a nonprofit charter-school management company from Pennsylvania that is expanding into Milwaukee. He was fired after his arrest.

Johnson also was the administrator at YMCA Young Leaders Academy, a charter school, and had taught at Lee Elementary School in Milwaukee.

The criminal complaint describes a pattern in which Johnson would single out children — he called them his "godsons" and asked them to call him their "godfather" — and invite them to his residence where he would engage in inappropriate touching...

Assistant District Attorney Sara B. Lewis asked that the bail remain because of the "very significant and sizable" case against Johnson, who is facing multiple counts of forcibly sexually assaulting children.

Lewis added that prosecutors have "a strong belief there will be additional victims."...

Brown Deer police identified two additional victims from the letters the victims had written to Johnson from prison...

The assaults began in 1997 when the man was 8 years old and continued until 2001, according to the complaint...