Brooklyn MDC correctional officer indicted for sexually abusing detainee, prosecutors say

"Johnson leveraged his position as a correctional officer to take advantage of a man he was supposed to be protecting in his capacity as a prison guard and used his access to gratify his own sexual desires. On at least two occasions in May 2025, he ordered a detainee to accompany him to other areas of the jail, where he sexually abused him, according to court documents."

"According to a government bail memorandum, the encounters took place in secluded areas of the facility, including the chaplain's office and a rarely used suite of offices. Prosecutors said Johnson directed the detainee to perform oral sex and attempted to have sexual intercourse with him. After one of the encounters, the detainee wiped semen onto his prison jumpsuit, which was later recovered by federal agents."

"A lab analysis found it was extraordinarily more likely than not that the DNA matched Johnson, according to prosecutors. Prosecutors said surveillance video corroborates the movements of Johnson and the detainee inside the facility. When FBI agents and investigators from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General interviewed Johnson in October 2025, he denied engaging in sexual acts with any detainees, prosecutors said."

James Johnson, a 36-year-old correctional officer and mentor coordinator at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, was indicted on charges of sexual abuse, sexual abuse of a ward, and making false statements to federal law enforcement. On at least two occasions in May 2025, Johnson ordered a detainee to accompany him to secluded areas of the facility, including the chaplain's office, where he sexually abused him. Prosecutors allege Johnson directed the detainee to perform oral sex and attempted sexual intercourse. Physical evidence including DNA analysis on a prison jumpsuit and surveillance video corroborate the encounters. When interviewed by FBI agents in October 2025, Johnson denied the allegations, which prosecutors characterized as false statements. He faces up to life in prison if convicted on the top charge.

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