Police: Vinita Man Claims He Used Sex Acts to Punish Child

A Vinita man is in jail charged with child sex crimes.

The probable cause affidavit said a 10-year-old girl told her school counselor a man she knew had raped her and that counselor called police.

Court records said the child told investigators Christopher Johnston sexually abused her multiple times in her bedroom.

She told investigators he would turn the TV or music up loud so no one else in the house would hear her screaming and crying.

The affidavit said the sexual abuse started three months after her 10th birthday and happened once a week and slowly progressed over time.

The affidavit said Johnston told investigators he initially threatened the girl with sex acts to make her mind, then went on to use sex acts as punishment when she misbehaved. It said Johnston claimed he didn't get any pleasure from the encounters.

Vinita police arrested Johnston and prosecutors charged him with five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child.