High School Teacher Sentenced for Sexually Abusing Student

August 13, 2009

A high school band teacher at Mt. Hebron High School in Ellicott City was sentenced, this morning, to 18 months in the Howard County Detention Center for sexually abusing one of his female students over a two-year period. Robert Douglas Johnston, 61, of the 4400 block of Brittany Drive, was sentenced to nine years in prison with all but 18 months suspended by Howard County Circuit Court Judge Timothy J. McCrone who also ordered that Johnston be placed on five years of supervised probation following his release. Johnston must also register as a child sexual offender.

On April 23, 2009, Johnston, who taught at Mt. Hebron for over 35 years, pleaded guilty to a single count of sexual abuse of a minor. In a statement of facts presented at the plea hearing, Assistant State’s Attorneys Colleen McGuinn and Jennifer Ritter told the court that between 2006 and 2008, Johnston had an inappropriate sexual relationship with his student who was only 15 years of age when the relationship began. Ritter told the court that most of the incidents occurred on a couch located in a room adjacent to the band area at Mt. Hebron but that Johnston had also engaged in phone sex with the victim.

At the conclusion of the hearing, McGuinn praised the young victim as “very brave” for cooperating with authorities and for testifying on the impact the abuse has had on her life at the sentencing hearing.