In 2012 David Johnson waived trial by jury and pleaded guilty to nine charges of sexual battery and one charge of gross sexual imposition on a victim aged under 18.
He was sentenced to the agreed plea deal of 12 years imprisonment and then supervision for five years post-release. He was classified as a Tier II Offender and required to reregister annually for 10 years.
In 2018, 2020 and 2022 he applied to reopen the case for Judicial release. Each time the Court found that Judicial Release was not warranted and was denied, so he remains in prison until 2024.
The 2018 application for release was supported by references written by John Wilbur (worker) and five friends. John Wilbur also wrote a pre-sentence reference in 2012.
In July 2023 John Wilbur has written the letter below, which is an example of repentance. He didn’t make excuses, he acknowledged that writing the reference letters was hurtful (even though he didn’t intend for them to be) and he wants to be part of the solution.
Tuesday, July 11, 2023
To all:
I am so sorry. This morning I read the letters I wrote and I cringed. I was asked by David’s family to write them. We thought we were doing the right thing, but we were not. If I understood then what I understand now, I never would have written them. That is not an excuse. I was wrong.
Specifically, I said that I did not think David would abuse again. I was wrong to say that. I understand now that I have no way of knowing that.
Particularly, I am sorry to the survivor of David’s abuse. I understand that the letters I wrote minimized your suffering. I have thought of you many times over the years. You never should have faced what you faced.
I am sorry to all who have suffered abuse. I have heard your stories — thank you for sharing them. You are courageous. I am with you. When I was in grades 4 and 5, I was abused by an elementary school teacher. I still am not ready to talk about it. I know what you have suffered has affected your life. It has affected mine.
People are angry and I understand why. If you are able, please forgive me — although I understand if you cannot yet. Far too many people have been hurt for far too long. I do not want to hurt anyone. I want to help you heal.
I am so sorry for the hurt I have caused.
Sincerely,
John Willbur
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I am thankful to see that there is recognition of past indiscretions and an acknowledgement that things should have been done differently. He is ABSOLUTELY right – NO individual can accurately state that a sex offender will not perpetrate again. Hopefully, this is a beginning amongst the ministry. What field is he assigned to?
At face value and not knowing him, this seems to be honest.
So very, very sorry for the victim having to be subjected to actions such as this on top of the abuse. We are very much aware of the impact on the victims life – for life – since we have faced this in our own extended family.
Once again a worker was wrong and caused great harm. They are nere mortals, not mini gods that can do no wrong. Each person needs to work out their own salvation.
Ministers overwhelmingly are good people do a very hard and important job, but in the end just human. We all need to read and study scripture to hopefully know when to not blindly follow teachings. Sorry for all concerned.
Do not think Wilbur would have written this letter if his original letters of support for jailbird Johnson were not first published on Advocates For The Truth yesterday. Do know Wilbur quite well. He will not help a man in real need.
Max. Your reality should shock each and every reader on here to the very bone: and send their very minds and hearts searching for the very mind and Spirit of Christ( 1Peter 1:11) as the advise of Paul TO put on the whole armour of God to with stand the wiles of the devil. Ephesians 6:11 – :17 AND it is our responsibility to KNOW what the wiles of the Devil are.
Ephesians 6:17 How do we protect ourselves???
It is our responsibility to Know. God has left his WORD Begin with Eph.3:1-9
AND the Devil uses Humans to confuse humans. AND you have the hard reality of the unfortunately KNOWING Wilber quite well.
Thank you for your posting the reality!
Encourage everyone to learn what Gospel for us Gentiles. 1Corinthians 15:1-4
Astounded, Thank you very much. Your words are spot on. Just amazed that these guys never step up and ask for “forgiveness” until they are caught or exposed. Wilbur, Reynolds, Thayer and all the rest would not have written the apology letters unless their acts were exposed by others. Then you have the Montana dozen that do no say one word even after their CSA coverup was exposed. Best if every SA/CSA perp and ped came clean TODAY because that is all any of us have.
We also know John Willbur. He is a very genuine, humble, quality worker. I’m sure we can all agree with him that he made a mistake. I’m very touched by his humility in admitting his mistake and asking for forgiveness.
I totally understand him in his statement when he stated that he wishes he knew 10 years ago what he knows today. Being a mother of a victim of CSA, I too wish I knew 10 yrs ago what I know today. I was so watchful for such horrible things & yet I missed seeing the red flags when they were right in front of me! To this day I can’t forgive myself. I’m so glad these issues have been brought to light & are being dealt with, & thankful that my children can be more prepared for these things in raising their children.
Please please please don’t blame yourself, we know how utterly deceptive these people can be. I often feel the forgotten people (beyond the victims) are the family. Often blaming themselves for missing it. These people are masters of deceit – you only have to read the 400 comments on Dean Bruer to understand.
Very sorry for the CSA offence in your family – it is a horrible thing and it is not acceptable to do, cover for, or support those that do it. Three of the 4 in our family are victims of SA/CSA by either a worker or professing folk – it is now apparent that this sort of evil activity is a very common practice within the group from the top down (i.e. Bruer down to Johnson)
That being said, we had the same thoughts about Wilbur that you stated, UNTIL we went to him with a very serious corruption issue within the group (not CSA related). Since Wilbur was the most trusted worker we knew, we turned to him for help. It became appartent very early in the discussion that Wilbur was only interested in protecting his “place in the work” instead of stepping up and doing the right thing. We learned that he was just another empty shell tossed by the waves. But God turned that event into a great blessing for us, for which we will forever be grateful to Him. Praise God.
Donna writes, “Ministers overwhelmingly are good people do a very hard and important job, but in the end just human”. I would like to ask Donna, how do you know ministers OVERWHELMINGLY are good people? First, you don’t live in their mind and you don’t know what they do when nobody is looking. I used to be naive and thought similar to you. Since then I found that the workers are not overwhelmingly good people after one very powerful event, where our family was in crisis after a family member was assaulted by a worker. The older workers I always looked up to (men and women) circled the wagons, unbelievably, around the PERPETRATOR. These are people still in leadership and, Donna, I am sure you would say, they are overwhelmingly good people! You, Donna, don’t really know these people and therefore, you don’t know what you are talking about. Donna, you are right, they are human. Actually, overwhelming human and in a position to do great harm, which they do also.
John Willbur is someone I know well. If it’s hand shaking time after a meeting, there is no one like John. A great guy for hand shaking! A major issue arose, however, in which John was needed, to be there in a leadership position and someone who had character, courage and wisdom. John had none of these traits. Something that needed to be dealt with instead was left to fester. John appeared to only care about John Wilbur. And, John’s lack of backbone caused huge division, and distrust. While I feel for John’s abuse at a young age that John writes about, it appears John learned nothing from that experience. Today John writes a letter that begs of pity for John. And, this time John HAD to write. It appears John wrote for John Willbur.
Louise…John is a trustworthy Godly man. Your situation was of your own making. What you did to get excommunicated was very immoral. Take your lumps and move on as we all
Do. History is just that history and you can’t change it.
I don’t think it’s fair to expect a man to lose everything for you. That’s like expecting an employee to lose everything. It’s simply not fair and then to tarnish the man all over the internet shows your vengeance. What a horrible thing to do.