An alleged gang member who was out on $6,000 bail for 34 counts of armed robbery and assault has been accused of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl.
Prosecutors requested that 17-year-old Tony Johnson’s bail be set at $225,000, but a Brooklyn judge ordered the bail be lowered to $6,000, the New York Post reported.
But Johnson, a reported member of the Folk Nation gang, allegedly created more havoc after he returned to his Brooklyn, New York, home.
On September 15, he allegedly snatched a cellphone from a female victim before fleeing the scene.
Johnson allegedly struck the next day two miles from his home, reportedly punching a victim in the face several times before running off with her purse. The woman wound up going to the hospital to receive treatment for facial swelling and a busted lip.
He then wound up threatening another victim within his own neighborhood, allegedly telling a male victim he would stab him if he did not fork over his sneakers.
“Give me your sneakers or I’ll stab you,” Johnson allegedly said.
But the teen reportedly took his criminal acts to the next level on October 8 when he reportedly sexually assaulted a 12-year-old girl who was on her way to pick up her sister at school.
Johnson first allegedly demanded that the 12-year-old fork over her cell phone and cash. When he found nothing, he allegedly forced her to a nearby basement where he ordered her to take off her pants and underwear before sexually assaulting her, according to court documents.
Johnson was arrested for the alleged sex attack and the string of robberies and is being held on $105,000 cash bail or $130,000 bond at the Horizon Juvenile Center in the Bronx.
A city police officer warned that cases like these are just the beginning once state laws allowing nonviolent offenders to walk free and ending automatic criminal prosecution of 16- and 17-year-olds go into effect.
“This is a very scary situation,” the law enforcement source told the Post. “This poor girl is the victim of a broken system, and I’m afraid you’re going to see many more stories like this. This is just the beginning.”
Johnson’s mother, Cheryl Johnson, 47, said she does not believe the allegations against her son and blamed the New York Police Department (NYPD) for framing him.
“This is an African American boy being framed!” she said. “He’s a good kid. Very respectful. He gets along with everyone. He plays with the kids and stuff.”
She accused the police of harassing her son and filed “four or five” complaints with the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau. A spokeswoman for the NYPD said the matter was “under internal review.”
Defense lawyer Jay Schwitzman, who is representing Johnson, maintains that his client is innocent and “will fight the charges in court.”
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