Bellingham couple sent to prison for years-long child sex abuse
A Bellingham man who participated with his then-wife in the years-long sexual abuse of a girl known to them has recently been sent to prison, while the wife was resentenced.
Damian Lee Johnston, 37, was sentenced in January in Whatcom County Superior Court to a minimum of nearly 15½ years in prison to a maximum of life for second-degree rape of a child, according to court records.
Damian Johnston was given an indeterminate sentence, which means he has to serve the minimum 15½ years in prison, but could be held for life, pending review by the Indeterminate Sentencing Review Board. Once Damian Johnston has served most of his time, the board will review his offense, behavior in the prison system and several tests will be done to determine whether it would be safe to release him into the community. If not, he will remain in prison and be evaluated again at a later date. This can continue for the entirety of Damian Johnston’s life as part of his indeterminate sentence.
Damian Johnston will have to register as a sex offender and if he’s released from prison, he will be on probation for life, according to court records. A sexual assault protection order was put in place between Damian Johnston and the girl until 2099.
Damian Johnston’s then-wife, Kristi Lynn Johnston, 33, was resentenced last summer to five years in prison with three years probation for second-degree child molestation. Her sentence runs consecutively with another unrelated case where Kristi Johnston was convicted of residential burglary, meaning she will spend a total of nearly seven years in prison, according to court records.
The Johnstons were arrested in July 2019 for the years-long sexual abuse of a girl known to them, which started when the girl was 12, according to court records. Kristi Johnston knew the sexual assaults were occurring, and on occasion, participated in them, the records state.
In a pre-sentence investigation, an investigator said that multiple people who were known to Damian Johnston had reported the physical, emotional and sexual abuse, according to court records.
“Damian’s consistent and sustained abuse of (the victim) during the years he harmed her is unconscionable and indicative of a serious level of deviancy that has yet to be properly assessed or understood,” the records state. “Legal consequences have shown to not be an effective deterrent for Damian’s criminality and without some kind of serious intervention from certified treatment providers in the realms of domestic violence, chemical dependency, and sexual deviancy, Damian will continue to cause harm and pose a serious risk to safety in the community.”
A local prosecutor had asked that Kristi Johnston be resentenced after a judge had initially sentenced her to less than half the agreed recommended prison time. Kristi Johnston’s conviction and sentence were vacated in early August, and she was resentenced to the agreed-upon recommended time, the court records show.
In a declaration filed with the court, Kristi Johnston said she was “worried” the victim would feel as if the judge was discounting the victim’s experience by sentencing Kristi Johnston to less than the recommended time. She also said that she didn’t have objections to spending the extra amount of time in prison, as it will allow her to attend treatment and educational classes to address her behavior, the court records state.
Resources
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or sexual assault, you can contact the following local resources for free, confidential support:
▪ Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Services: 24-hour Help Line: 360-715-1563, Email: info@dvsas.org.
▪ Lummi Victims of Crime: 360-312-2015.
▪ Bellingham Police: You can call anonymously at 360-778-8611, or go online at cob.org/tips.
▪ WWU Consultation and Sexual Assault Support Survivor Advocacy Services: 360-650-3700 or wp.wwu.edu/sexualviolence/.
▪ Brigid Collins Family Support Center: 360-734-4616, brigidcollins.org.
This story was originally published March 26, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
