ELKINS, W.Va. — A former Elkins High School teacher has been found guilty on five of the 16 felony counts against him involving inappropriate contact with an underage student.
A jury found Friday afternoon that the evidence against Donald Ashley Johnson, 34, of Elkins, proved he solicited an underage female student via computer, distributed and displayed obscene matter to that student, used that obscene matter with intent to seduce her and possessed material depicting a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
During the week-long trial, the state framed its argument by presenting entries from Johnson’s personal journals, text messages between the two and testimony from the victim herself to show that conversations between the two started out short but became increasingly sexual in nature.
The victim testified that she was afraid to end the relationship after finding a suicide note believed to be written by Johnson related to a breakup with a previous girlfriend.
The jury deliberated for nearly four hours before returning the guilty verdict on the four counts, while acquitting Johnson on 11 felony counts of attempted possession of material depicting a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Randolph County Circuit Judge David Wilmoth will schedule sentencing at a later date.