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WEST BOUNTIFUL — A former mayor of West Bountiful has been arrested and accused of abusing multiple children over several years, and police say there are more potential cases still being investigated.
Carl Matthew Johnson, 77, who currently lives in Orem, according to court records, was booked into the Davis County Jail Tuesday for investigation of seven counts of aggravated sex abuse of a child.
The Davis County Sheriff's Office said the arrest is part of an ongoing investigation and that three victims have been identified.
The sex abuse is alleged to have occurred when Johnson lived in Davis County and dates back to 1985, according to a police booking affidavit filed in court. He is accused of inappropriately touching three young girls all under the age of 13 multiple times.
"In all these cases the victims were told not to tell anyone else about what happened (to) them," the affidavit states.
When questioned by investigators, "Johnson further described inappropriate touching, with additional victims, and estimated there were more than six victims," the affidavit alleges. "Johnson has showed a long history of sexual abuse of children, some was young as 2 years old. Johnson admitted that he has a problem of controlling his sexual urges and has struggled with this problem for most of his life."
In addition to being a former mayor, investigators noted that Johnson has held numerous positions of trust throughout his life, including as a bishop for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"There are currently other cases of abuse being investigated and have not come to a conclusion," the affidavit states.
Johnson served two terms as the mayor of West Bountiful before vacating his seat in 1997.
"Today, we are thinking about the victims who bravely came forward and shared their stories," Davis County Sheriff's Captain Taylor West said in a prepared statement Thursday. "Without their willingness to recount the abuse they suffered, others may have continued to be victimized by Johnson."
