Johnson 'has absolutely no insight' into his voyeurism crimes, judge says while jailing him
CBC
Warning: This story contains details some may find disturbing.
The man who worked as a podiatrist without any credentials and then was caught masturbating outside a Charlottetown woman's window will spend just over five months in jail, with a P.E.I. judge citing his lack of remorse for his actions.
Chief Provincial Court Judge Jeff Lantz sentenced John Wesley Johnson in provincial court in Charlottetown Wednesday on charges of prowling at night, observing someone for a sexual purpose, and committing an indecent act.
"He has absolutely no insight into his criminal activity," Lantz told the court as he said he was sending the 27-year-old man to jail.
Johnson's lawyer had requested either a suspended sentence or a house-arrest arrangement in New Brunswick so that he could return to his hometown of Saint John and work as an assistant in his father's podiatry clinic.
Lantz rejected both proposals and said they didn't serve the sentencing objectives he was required to follow as a judge.
"It would be contrary to the public interest," he said. "In this case, I am concerned about the safety of the community."
Johnson's crimes happened in the fall of 2024.
A woman living in a first-floor apartment in Charlottetown believed someone was looking inside her window at night and called the police. Investigators found semen on the building outside her bedroom window.
People in the building then installed cameras and chased Johnson when he came back the next night. He got away but was quickly arrested by Charlottetown police, who already had him under surveillance after receiving a report from the RCMP.
The reasons for the surveillance and RCMP report have not been made public.
Johnson pleaded guilty in March. The sentencing was delayed to allow time for a pre-sentence report.
That kind of document is prepared by a probation officer and looks at the personal history of the person to be sentenced, including any factors that might have led him to commit his crimes. The process includes interviews with the accused and people close to him.
Johnson's pre-sentence report was discussed for hours during a sentencing hearing in May, before the chief judge decided he needed time to think before coming to a decision.
WARNING: This story details allegations of child abuse.
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