PORT CLINTON, Ohio — The former Port Clinton fire chief was indicted on 10 criminal counts Wednesday, following accusations he had sexually harassed and assaulted one of his employees.
In June 2023, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation began investigating Kent Johnson on allegations he had sexually harassed a woman and employee of the Port Clinton Fire Department repeatedly.
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Johnson was indicted Wednesday on the following counts:
- Unauthorized use of computer, cable or telecommunications property, a fifth-degree felony
- Voyeurism, a first-degree misdemeanor
- Interfering with civil rights, a first-degree misdemeanor
- Menacing by stalking, a first-degree misdemeanor
- Telecommunications harassment, a first-degree misdemeanor
- Theft in office, a fourth-degree felony
- Gross sexual imposition, a fourth-degree felony (two counts)
- Intimidation of attorney, victim or witness in a criminal case, a first-degree misdemeanor
- Theft, a first-degree misdemeanor
Johnson had also filed a lawsuit against the city of Port Clinton and its officials, whom he had accused of wrongfully firing him. In the suit, he alleged a violation of civil service statutes and rights, emotional distress, defamation, wrongful termination and retaliation.
On July 16, a visiting judge in the Ottawa County Court of Common Pleas dismissed Johnson's lawsuit, according to a press release from the law firm representing Johnson's accuser. The dismissal came "with prejudice," the release said, meaning Johnson could not refile these claims.
The initial judge on the case had recused himself from the case, according to documents, though no reason was given in the documents for the recusal.
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The motion to dismiss the case determined none of Johnson's claims met the criteria to move forward in the legal process. For example, the judge said Johnson's claim of wrongful termination was not supported by any evidence in court.
The alleged victim of the harassment also filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Johnson in October, which included screenshots of text messages, voicemail transcriptions and written allegations that Johnson made repeated unwanted sexual comments to the alleged victim both electronically and in the workplace, touched her without her consent and sexually assaulted her.
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