Morooka’s Steven William Johnson, 30, breaches sex offender reporting duties for seventh time

A child sex offender who threatened “vulnerable” teens at their home after selling them drugs, has walked from court following his seventh reporting breach.

A court has heard a child sex offender breached his lifelong reporting duties for the seventh time when he threatened “vulnerable” teens at their homes after selling them drugs.

Former Cleveland, now Morooka man Steven William Johnson, 30, left Cleveland Magistrates Court on Thursday after he pleaded guilty to numerous charges.

These included failing to comply with reporting of contact with a child; breaching his bail by having contact with children; permitting the use of his residence to commit a drug offence; possessing dangerous drugs; receiving tainted property and more.

The court heard Johnson was on Friday October 15 sentenced at the Supreme Court to six months’ prison with immediate parole for supplying cannabis to two teens, aged 14 and 15, at his then Cleveland housing commission unit on July 15 last year.

The sentencing followed a stint of 96 days in pre-sentence custody.

Child sex offender Steven William Johnson, 30, leaves Cleveland Magistrates Court. Picture: Marcel Baum.

The court heard on July 15, 2020 Johnson sold a stick of cannabis to one of the teens in exchange for a mobile phone stolen from one of their mothers.

The charges he pleaded guilty to on Thursday were deemed more serious by Magistrate Deborah Vasta, who expressed surprise Johnson had received only six months given his criminal history.

The court heard Johnson had on November 7 “blatantly” breached his bail – which required him to have no contact with children – when he demanded to speak to one of the teens to whom he had sold cannabis in July.

According to a police prosecutor, the defendant sent two “troubled” youths fleeing to a nearby unit when he demanded to speak in person to one of them at their residence.

Witness accounts by two teens and a 62-year-old resident were presented to police in addition to a video recording of Johnson “menacing” the unit complex, the court heard.

A search warrant issued at Johnson’s unit the next day uncovered multiple hunting knives, gel blasters and camouflage gear.

Johnson leaves the Supreme Court last week. Picture: Alex Treacy.

A police prosecutor said the incident was the defendant’s seventh non-reporting offence since 2013 and was aggravated for involving “vulnerable” juveniles.

The court heard Johnson was placed on strict, lifelong reporting duties of any contact with a child following a sentence he received in 2010 at the age of 18 in Western Australia.

Defence solicitor Sarah Pascoe said her client had not reoffended since November 7 and had “completely removed” himself from the Cleveland area after moving in with his mother.

Magistrate Deborah Vasta expressed her disgust that Johnson had threatened the teens in November after selling cannabis to one of them in July, in exchange for a mobile phone stolen from one of their mothers.

“It really makes me sick to my stomach that someone who is an adult is preying on juveniles who already have issues in their lives,” Magistrate Vasta said.

Johnson’s 96 days spent in pre-sentence custody was taken into account when he was sentenced to eight months’ prison with immediate parole granted.

Should he breach his conditions again, Johnson was warned, he would almost certainly “go to jail”.