RACINE, Wis. – A Wisconsin billionaire has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanour charge of having sexual contact with a teenage girl.
Fifty-nine-year-old Samuel “Curt” Johnson III of Racine was originally charged with a felony count of child sexual assault. But prosecutors sought to downgrade the charge after they say the victim and her mother refused to co-operate.
Before sentencing Friday, Johnson apologized to the victim and her mother for “the tremendous hurt I have caused.”
Judge Eugene Gasiorkiewicz allowed the downgrade of charges. Then he sentenced Johnson to four months in jail, short of the one-year maximum. Johnson was also fined $6,000.
Johnson’s family has run home-products giant SC Johnson for five generations. Johnson worked for the company decades ago but has had no formal relationship with the company in years.
