David Johnson pleaded not guilty as investigators said they believe additional victims may exist and continued seeking information.
VENTURA, Calif. — An Ojai man who worked as a pastor and massage therapist has been charged with six felony child molestation counts involving two children younger than 14, according to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.
David Johnson, 58, pleaded not guilty to all charges after his arraignment in Ventura County Superior Court, prosecutors announced Aug. 26. He faces four counts of lewd acts upon a child and two counts of continuous sexual abuse. Prosecutors also filed special allegations involving substantial sexual conduct and the alleged victims being under 14. The accusations have not been proven in court.
Prosecutors allege the abuse happened over several years at locations in Ojai and Oxnard. Authorities said Johnson had access to the two children through a familial relationship. Officials have not publicly identified the children or provided further details about that relationship. Their identities are being withheld because they are minors in a sexual abuse case.
The District Attorney’s Office identified Johnson as someone who worked both as a pastor and as a massage therapist. The charging announcement did not identify a church and did not state that the alleged conduct occurred through either line of work. Prosecutors instead said his access to the children came through the familial relationship.
Investigators said they suspect there could be additional victims or other unreported allegations involving Johnson. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office is involved in the investigation, and prosecutors identified Detective Michael Loth as the investigator receiving information connected to the case. Authorities have not publicly announced whether the investigation has produced additional alleged victims since the charges were filed.
Deputy District Attorney Cesar Ponce, a member of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office Sexual Assault Unit, is prosecuting the case. The prosecutor’s Aug. 26 release identified the District Attorney’s Office case as No. 2026023346 and the Ventura County Superior Court matter as No. 26CM100614.
At the time the charges were announced, Johnson was being held without bail and a bail review hearing was scheduled for Aug. 28. Public reports issued before that hearing also described him as remaining in custody without bail. A reliable public report confirming the outcome of the Aug. 28 bail review could not be located in reporting reviewed through Sept. 2, leaving his current bail status unconfirmed.
The District Attorney’s Office has provided only limited details about the alleged conduct beyond the criminal counts, locations, time span and familial access described in its filing announcement. No detailed account of the allegations against the children has been publicly released by prosecutors, and the office has not identified the children.
Johnson has entered a not-guilty plea, and no conviction has been entered in the case. The criminal allegations remain pending in Ventura County Superior Court as investigators continue examining whether other unreported allegations may be connected to him.
Author note: Last updated Sept. 2, 2026.