Former Warner Robins police chief jailed for child sex abuse charges, Georgia police say

Former Warner Robins Police Chief George Johnson, who was sent to federal prison for his involvement in a blackmail scandal in the early 1990s, was arrested last week on child sex abuse and incest charges, the GBI said Monday.

The Houston County Sheriff’s Office received reports of a child sex abuse case on July 17 and later learned it allegedly involved a teenager, the GBI said in a statement. Investigators believe the alleged abuse happened in Houston and Pulaski counties and that it may date back to early last year.

The GBI obtained arrest warrants for Johnson, 79, Wednesday after Houston Sheriff Cullen Talton and Pulaski Sheriff Danny Brennan requested that the GBI investigate. The Houston County District Attorney’s Office will prosecute the case, the statement said.

Johnson, who was the police chief in Warner Robins during the ’80s and ’90s, was convicted in a blackmail-videotape scandal involving him and other city officials.

Johnson, along with then-mayor of Warner Robins Ed Martin and police Maj. Gary Frost, tried to force City Council member Bill Douglas to resign by mailing him a video showing him in a compromising position with a woman other than his wife.

Johnson was sentenced to 18 months in prison for extortion, conspiracy and lying to a grand jury, among other charges.

This story was originally published July 31, 2023 at 3:16 PM.