Grand Jury hands down charges in Ashland child exploitation case

September 17, 2024

Montessori school teacher faces total of 23 charges, remains in jail with bail set at $250K 

By Morgan Rothborne, Ashland.news 

A Jackson County grand jury was convened Tuesday to consider additional charges in the case of Craig Johnson, a 68-year old Ashland man facing numerous charges of child exploitation, according to a release from the Ashland Police Department. 

After reviewing evidence presented by investigators and the Jackson County District Attorney’s office, the grand jury proceeded with various charges for the case, including 14 counts of using a child in display of sexually explicit conduct, six counts of attempted using a child in display of sexually explicit conduct, two counts of first degree encouraging child sex abuse, and one count of first degree invasion of personal privacy, according to the release. 

Johnson is being held in the Jackson County Jail on a $250,000 bond on the charges of using a child in sexually explicit conduct and with no bail on the charges of invasion of privacy and encouraging child sex abuse, according to the jail roster. 

Prior to the investigation, Johnson was a teacher at the Children’s World Montessori School in Ashland, as previously reported by Ashland.news.  

The investigation has confirmed six alleged victims in the Ashland area to date. Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact APD Detective Lacie Six at 541-552-2125.

Email Ashland.news reporter Morgan Rothborne at [email protected].

Sept. 18: Updated to say victims are alleged, not known.

Picture of Bert Etling

Bert Etling

Bert Etling is the executive editor of Ashland.news. Email him at [email protected].

Related Posts...

Bill that could have offered utilities protection from fire lawsuits gets fix

Oregon lawmakers on Tuesday tweaked a bill intended to increase fire mitigation to ensure it does not also offer utilities immunity from liability in lawsuits for wildfires ignited by power lines. The change to a single sentence in House Bill 3666 comes as a relief to some critics, who feared that giving utilities wildfire safety certificates that establish they’ve “acted reasonably” by state standards would in effect offer them absolute immunity from liability in lawsuits if their equipment causes a wildfire.

Read More »

New round of Britt concerts includes Mariachi Sol de Mexico

The slate includes country artist Wynonna Judd, pop favorite Natasha Bedingfield and the pairing of Taj Mahal and Steve Earle. Among the notable first-timers performing on the Britt stage are Dirtwire with special guests Free Creatures, and a much-anticipated performance from Tash Sultana.

Read More »

Obituary: Lawrence Nagel

Obituary: Lawrence David Nagel, 80, passed away peacefully at Ashland Sky Senior Home in Ashland on March 5. Lawrence was a fixture in the community, especially at the Ashland Food Co-op, where he will be remembered for his kindness, goofy energy and sincere desire to connect with people from all walks of life. A celebration of life will be held in Ashland on June 1.

Read More »

Our Sponsors

Rogue Gallery and Art Center Medford Oregon
Conscious Design Build Ashland Oregon

Latest posts

Crossword:Collaborative Theatre 2025 #02

This week’s crossword: remaining plays from Collaborative Theatre’s 2025 season. Solve it directly in the article or download a PDF to print. Next Friday’s crossword: “Eureka Moment #03.” More crosswords under the Culture menu.

Read More >

Bill that could have offered utilities protection from fire lawsuits gets fix

Oregon lawmakers on Tuesday tweaked a bill intended to increase fire mitigation to ensure it does not also offer utilities immunity from liability in lawsuits for wildfires ignited by power lines. The change to a single sentence in House Bill 3666 comes as a relief to some critics, who feared that giving utilities wildfire safety certificates that establish they’ve “acted reasonably” by state standards would in effect offer them absolute immunity from liability in lawsuits if their equipment causes a wildfire.

Read More >

New round of Britt concerts includes Mariachi Sol de Mexico

The slate includes country artist Wynonna Judd, pop favorite Natasha Bedingfield and the pairing of Taj Mahal and Steve Earle. Among the notable first-timers performing on the Britt stage are Dirtwire with special guests Free Creatures, and a much-anticipated performance from Tash Sultana.

Read More >

Obituary: Lawrence Nagel

Obituary: Lawrence David Nagel, 80, passed away peacefully at Ashland Sky Senior Home in Ashland on March 5. Lawrence was a fixture in the community, especially at the Ashland Food Co-op, where he will be remembered for his kindness, goofy energy and sincere desire to connect with people from all walks of life. A celebration of life will be held in Ashland on June 1.

Read More >

Our Sponsors

City of Ashland Public Notice Ashland Oregon
Pronto Printing Ashland Medford Southern Oregon
Ashland Parks and Recreation Ashland Oregon
Ashland.news House Ad

Explore More...

The still-undefeated SOU women's basketball team plays in the national quarterfinal round Saturday for the third time in program history — and the first time since the NAIA's two divisions merged — after a 67-60 victory over Xavier on Thursday.
This week's crossword: remaining plays from Collaborative Theatre's 2025 season. Solve it directly in the article or download a PDF to print. Next Friday's crossword: "Eureka Moment #03." More crosswords under the Culture menu.
The slate includes country artist Wynonna Judd, pop favorite Natasha Bedingfield and the pairing of Taj Mahal and Steve Earle. Among the notable first-timers performing on the Britt stage are Dirtwire with special guests Free Creatures, and a much-anticipated performance from Tash Sultana.
Ashland postal workers and supporters joined Thursday in a “Day of Action” coordinated by the U.S. Postal Service workers union, gathering at the Ashland Post Office to wave signs and hand out information.
Members of Ashland City Council debated Monday during its study session meeting how to make the need to meet new state requirements an opportunity for improving the city’s housing stock. The city is required to be in compliance with the state’s Climate Friendly Areas rules by June 30.
ashland.news logo

Subscribe to the newsletter and get local news sent directly to your inbox.

(It’s free)

Don't Miss Our Top Stories

Get our newsletter delivered to your inbox three times a week.
It’s FREE and you can cancel anytime.