JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville teacher accused of molesting a student acknowledged exchanging messages with the minor but denied the pair ever had inappropriate physical contact, according to court records.
Those details were contained within the arrest report for James Rankin Johnson, a 70-year-old private school teacher who faces felony charges of lewd molestation on a victim younger than 16 and offenses against a student by an authority figure.
Johnson, who remains in custody at the Duval County jail in lieu of $250,000 bond, has been ordered to have no contact with the student, no contact with minors and no internet access, court records show.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office announced Johnson’s arrest Wednesday, releasing his mug photo in hopes that anyone with information relevant to the case would come forward. Citing Marsy’s Law, the Sheriff’s Office did not disclose the name of the school where Johnson taught.
Johnson was arrested Feb. 11 following an investigation by JSO’s Special Assault Unit that resulted from a complaint about inappropriate text messages sent to the student, according to his arrest report.
Investigators reviewed transcripts of messages exchanged over TikTok and another app, which showed the sender telling the student he “loved her,” calling her “babe” and asking if she was alone, the report said. It also said the sender asked the student if her mother knew about their conversations.
The student told police she and Johnson had been in contact for a year. She said they traded messages and he also gave her handwritten notes that were sexually suggestive. Occasionally, she told police, she visited him, and they touched each other inappropriately.
Johnson acknowledged messaging the student, even after her mother asked him to stop, according to the report, but he denied they ever touched one another.
Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Cheyenne Snyder would not comment on the case due to the active investigation, but she said it’s important for parents to maintain an open dialogue with their children and to know which apps they’re using.
“If you think about coaches or teachers or aunts and uncles, you might see that person once a week, once a month,” she said. “But through the internet, they’re able to contact your child every single day.”
According to a profile on the website of the school where Johnson worked, he was a high school teacher who had taught in both Clay and Duval counties. The school, which News4Jax has chosen not to identify, did not immediately return a request for comment.
A person who answered the door at the address listed for Johnson did not wish to comment.
Neighbors told News4Jax that the 70-year-old is a pastor at The Lord’s Lighthouse Ministry, a church whose social media presence includes several videos showing Johnson preaching. The church could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.
Court records show Johnson is due in court March 4 for an arraignment hearing.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 904-630-0500.