A Michigan pastor has been sentenced to serve at least 68 months in prison after confessing to having placed a hidden camera in a bathroom at his church's property.
Former 2|42 Community Church Pastor William Johnson, 38, was sentenced in Livingston County by 44th Circuit Court Judge Matthew McGivney to at least 68 months, with a maximum of 20 years.
"You have shattered what we, as a community, value most: the sense of safety and security," McGivney told Johnson, as quoted by The Livingston Daily.
"When the headlines broke about the actions at your church, every family in this community thought, 'Was I filmed? Was my wife filmed? Was my child filmed?'"
For his part, Johnson read from a prepared statement that he took complete responsibility for his actions, describing himself as "evil and lost" for what he did.
"I'll never be able to take the hurt away or undo what I've done, but I'm genuinely sorry," Johnson stated, as quoted by Livingston Daily. "I'm sorry for the shame that I brought on the name of Jesus and to the church."
The former worship pastor director of the Brighton campus of 2|42, a nondenominational multisite church, Johnson was arrested last September when he reportedly confessed to church leaders to having placed a hidden camera in a unisex bathroom on the campus.
Multiple individuals, including at least one teenage minor, were among those clandestinely filmed by Johnson over the course of two years. The facility in question was only accessible to staff and volunteers rather than the general public.
Craig Ryan, chairman of the 2|42 Community Church Leadership Advisory Team, sent an email to the congregation at the time, noting that, following his confession, church leaders immediately contacted the Livingston County Sheriff's Office.
"At this time, we are not aware of the full scope of this crime, but we are fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation," wrote Ryan, adding that he was "shocked and deeply saddened by this situation as the protection, safety, and privacy of every person who enters our church is our priority."
"Like you, we are devastated," he continued. "Our desire and our consistent commitment is that the church should be the safest place in our community, which is why Will and all of our employees undergo thorough background checks."
Tony Johnson, lead pastor of the multi-campus congregation who is not related to William Johnson, said in a message days after the arrest that he and church staff "have shed more tears than we thought possible."
"This has been a violation of our trust. It's a violation of the call that God has upon us to help people take next steps with God. This is an assault upon the entire church. It's a betrayal of the trust that I put in him. And it's a betrayal of the trust that you put in us," the senior pastor said.
William Johnson eventually faced 15 charges, including one count of child sexually abusive activity, one count of tampering with evidence, two counts of possessing child sexually abusive material, four counts of surveilling an unclothed person, and seven counts of using a computer to commit a crime.
In April, he pleaded guilty to all 15 counts, having reportedly previously confessed to police detectives when he was first arrested in September at his home in Howell.
