Oklahoma Man Sentenced to Five Years’ Imprisonment for Sexually Abusing a Minor on the Grounds of KAFB

ALBUQUERQUE—U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales announced that, this morning in Albuquerque federal court, Clifton Eugene Johnson, 67, of Whiteboro, Ok., was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release for sexually abusing a minor. Johnson was fined $5,000 and will be required to register as a sex offender when he completes his prison sentence.

Johnson initially was charged on March 25, 2010 in a criminal complaint with sexually abusing his step-granddaughter (child victim), who had attained the age of 12 but was under the age of 16, on the grounds of Kirtland Air Force Base (KAFB) on March 24, 2010. He was arrested on March 25, 2010, and has been in federal custody since that time. On March 16, 2011, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Johnson with (1) aggravated sexual abuse, and (2) abusive sexual contact. Johnson pleaded guilty to count two of the indictment on May 2, 2011.

According to court records, during a family vacation in Albuquerque, Johnson and his wife were staying in a recreational vehicle (RV) in the FamCamp RV lot on KAFB while the child victim’s family was staying in KAFB temporary housing. The child victim requested and received permission to spend the night in her grandparents’ RV on the night of March 23, 2010. Johnson sexually assaulted the child victim the next morning after his wife left the RV to join the rest of the family in the temporary housing unit. In his plea agreement, Johnson admitted forcibly touching the child victim’s breasts for the purpose of gratifying his sexual desire.

Count one of the indictment was dismissed after Johnson was sentenced.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from Kirtland Air Force Base Office of Special Investigation, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle T. Nayback.