Johnson 'has absolutely no insight' into his voyeurism crimes, judge says while jailing him
27-year-old man's comments for pre-sentence report called 'embellished, confusing'
Warning: This story contains details some may find disturbing.
The man who worked as a podiatrist without any credentials and then was caught masturbating outside a Charlottetown woman's window will spend just over five months in jail, with a P.E.I. judge citing his lack of remorse for his actions.
Chief Provincial Court Judge Jeff Lantz sentenced John Wesley Johnson in provincial court in Charlottetown Wednesday on charges of prowling at night, observing someone for a sexual purpose, and committing an indecent act.
"He has absolutely no insight into his criminal activity," Lantz told the court as he said he was sending the 27-year-old man to jail.
Johnson's lawyer had requested either a suspended sentence or a house-arrest arrangement in New Brunswick so that he could return to his hometown of Saint John and work as an assistant in his father's podiatry clinic.
Lantz rejected both proposals and said they didn't serve the sentencing objectives he was required to follow as a judge.
"It would be contrary to the public interest," he said. "In this case, I am concerned about the safety of the community."
Arrested while under surveillance
Johnson's crimes happened in the fall of 2024.
A woman living in a first-floor apartment in Charlottetown believed someone was looking inside her window at night and called the police. Investigators found semen on the building outside her bedroom window.
People in the building then installed cameras and chased Johnson when he came back the next night. He got away but was quickly arrested by Charlottetown police, who already had him under surveillance after receiving a report from the RCMP.
The reasons for the surveillance and RCMP report have not been made public.
Johnson pleaded guilty in March. The sentencing was delayed to allow time for a pre-sentence report.
That kind of document is prepared by a probation officer and looks at the personal history of the person to be sentenced, including any factors that might have led him to commit his crimes. The process includes interviews with the accused and people close to him.
Johnson's pre-sentence report was discussed for hours during a sentencing hearing in May, before the chief judge decided he needed time to think before coming to a decision.
'Flabbergasted' by Johnson's accounts
The report noted inconsistencies in accounts about Johnson's economic situation growing up, his family relationships, and a vehicle collision that he said sent him to hospital — although no medical records could be found that matched his story.
Johnson also said he was involved with gangs and had witnessed stabbings and a murder.
Back in court on Wednesday, Lantz called the report's contents "somewhat embellished and confusing," adding: "I don't think I've ever read a pre-sentence report like this before... 'Flabbergasted' is the only word I can use to describe it."
Asked about the crimes to which he had pleaded guilty, Johnson said he was not outside the woman's window when he was masturbating and did not believe what he was doing was a crime because he was actually in a nearby park, shielded from view.
Lantz challenged that on Wednesday, referring to the semen found just outside her window.
The pre-sentence report's author and a psychologist who saw Johnson described a person who lacked a willingness to change and take accountability for his crimes, which he described as "not as bad as what CBC portrayed."
The psychologist noted that Johnson did make "modest gains" in therapy, including moments where he expressed shame or disgust, questioning what might be wrong with him. The psychologist recommended he be sent for specialized treatment for sexual deviancy.
Johnson also acknowledged he had addiction issues, but said he would address them only after he was sentenced, another detail that concerned Lantz.
The judge also spoke about the woman in the apartment, who submitted a victim impact statement. She said she had an initial suspicion that something was going on when she called police, but was "shocked and felt violated" when she learned about the semen that Johnson had left behind.
She said she could no longer sleep in her bedroom and wanted to move because of the ordeal.
Record likely to keep him from podiatry
The Crown had asked that Johnson be sent to jail for 10 months total, but Lantz decided on five months and a few days: five months for voyeurism, seven days for prowling at night, and two months concurrent for the indecent act.
That means the two-month sentence will be noted on his criminal record, but he will serve that jail time at the same time as his other, longer sentence.
During the sentencing, Lantz also noted that while Johnson had previously practised as a podiatrist in Charlottetown, he seemingly never had the credentials to do so. Lantz said he had inquired, but it remained unclear whether Johnson would have required qualifications to serve as an assistant with his father if the judge had accepted that proposal from the defence.
Lantz also said a criminal record would likely prevent Johnson's future employment in that industry.
After being released from jail, Johnson will spend three years on probation, be registered as a sex offender and be banned from owning weapons for 10 years. He'll also have to provide a sample of his DNA to a national database.
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