Northside woman says she and her daughter were sexually abused by local pastor

JACKSONVILLE, Fla — A woman on the northside says she and her daughter were sexually abused by Eugene Johnson, who JSO records show to be a pastor at the Grace and Truth Temple of the Living God Church. He was arrested last month on a number of charges, including sexual battery and molestation.

The woman’s account matches what’s stated in Johnson’s arrest reports. We aren’t using her name because we don’t normally identify victims of sexual assault. She alleges Johnson assaulted her over the course of two decades.

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“[He] stole my life and did so many things to me,” she tells Action News Jax, “I was treated so poorly, I was mainly trying to survive.”

Police records show the assaults started back in 2003, when the woman claims Johnson sexually abused her. But the case changed earlier this year, when the woman says her daughter went to the hospital for a dog bite.

“That’s what landed us in the investigation,” she says.

JSO records, matched with the woman’s account, say her daughter told hospital staff Johnson had raped her multiple times, starting around 2019. Johnson’s arrest reports say it all happened while the woman’s daughter stayed at his house on the weekends.

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Police reports say the woman’s daughter was only around 11 years old when it happened.

“This whole investigation has put me and my kids through a lot of hardship,” she says.

The woman’s message to other parents: hold your kids close.

“Pour more love into your kids. That’s very important, love weighs out anything in life,” the woman tells Action News Jax.

Johnson was supposed to show up in court this morning, but his appearance has since been delayed to October 17th.

Action News Jax will keep following this case and have updates on-air and online

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