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Wasatch County GOP Chair Charged With Aggravated Child Abuse in Alleged Waterboarding of Teen

He remains jailed without bail pending the ongoing investigation.

Overview

  • Prosecutors filed a first-degree felony count against 54-year-old David Nephi Johnson after his arrest on Tuesday in Heber City.
  • A DCFS report on Jan. 21 triggered the probe, with a police affidavit stating a 16-year-old relative described being held at a sink and unable to breathe for 20 to 30 seconds.
  • The teen reported similar forced submersion of an 8-year-old sibling and a separate backhanding incident that left bruising.
  • Heber City police urged anyone with additional information to contact the department and emphasized child protection as a priority.
  • Johnson serves as Wasatch County Republican Party chair, and the party removed his photo from its website following the charge.