Parents beware: A cautionary tale of a sexual predator

Johnson's psychosexual evaluations raise serious questions about his ability to change, the judge said. Also, he said, Johnson has not fully acknowledged his crimes.

Defense attorney Susanne Gustin argued for a reduced sentence because of some traumatic experiences in Johnson's life.

His "security was shattered" at age 9 when a 17-year-old male relative sexually molested him for a year, she wrote in court documents. He withdrew and lost his self-esteem.

"Although he was physically large, he was bullied by both boys and girls," court documents say.

Johnson hit rock bottom in 2007 when his father died of a rare eye cancer. As the oldest sibling, his family turned to him for support and to fill the void left by their father.

"On the outside, Ryan fulfilled this role beautifully. However, on the inside, he was coming apart at the seams. Ryan was never allowed to 'fall apart' as his mother told his probation officer. He had to stay strong for his family," according to court documents.

Instead receiving counseling to deal with his father's death, Johnson began "acting out," including sexually abusing a young relative. He also had lewdness and voyeurism charges.

Johnson's wife described him as a "good husband" and an "unbelievable" father. His family intends to move near the federal prison where he will be incarcerated.

"I love this man now more than ever," JaeAnn Johnson said. "I will do anything and everything to help save his soul."

Dain said Johnson has undergone several rounds of counseling without success. The federal prosecutor said she didn't want to minimize his being sexually abused as a child, but he made choices beyond those events to put him where he is today.

"I believe Mr. Johnson is even deceiving himself and he certainly is deceiving his family," she said. "This is not who the defendant wants to be, but this is who he is."

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