A Southern California pastor who doubled as a massage therapist now faces six felony counts of child molestation after prosecutors say he preyed on minors he knew through a familial relationship over a period of years. Authorities in Ventura County believe more victims may be out there and are urging anyone with information to come forward.

David Johnson, 58, of Ojai, was charged by the Ventura County District Attorney's Office with four counts of lewd acts upon a child and two counts of continuous sexual abuse, Fox News reported. The alleged victims were under 14 years old. Prosecutors say the abuse took place at locations in both Ojai and Oxnard.

A trusted figure with access to children

Johnson held two roles that placed him in positions of trust: pastor and licensed massage therapist. The combination gave him standing in the community and, prosecutors allege, access to vulnerable minors. The children he is accused of abusing knew him through a familial relationship, not merely through his church or professional work.

That detail sharpens the case's stakes. Familial access often means prolonged, repeated contact with victims who may feel unable to speak up. Prosecutors have indicated the alleged abuse stretched over several years, though the precise start and end dates have not been publicly disclosed.

The case carries echoes of other recent prosecutions involving public figures accused of exploiting positions of authority. A traveling pastor and his wife were found guilty of child sex crimes in Oklahoma, underscoring a grim pattern that crosses state lines and denominations.

Charges and legal posture

Each of the six felony counts carries serious prison time under California law. Lewd acts upon a child under 14, codified in California Penal Code Section 288, is a strike offense under the state's Three Strikes law. Continuous sexual abuse of a child, under Penal Code Section 288.5, targets patterns of repeated molestation and can carry sentences of up to 16 years per count.

Johnson's bail status and next court date have not been publicly confirmed by the DA's office. Investigators have not said whether a grand jury was involved or whether the charges came through a criminal complaint filed directly by prosecutors.

Authorities have also not disclosed how the investigation began or what prompted the victims to come forward. Those details may emerge as the case moves through the court system.

DA's office asks the public for help

The Ventura County DA's Office issued a public appeal that made clear investigators suspect Johnson's alleged crimes were not limited to the two known victims. The New York Post reported the office's statement urging anyone with relevant information to contact authorities.

"If you believe you have information about this case or possible other unreported crimes Johnson may have committed," the Ventura County DA's Office said, "investigators want to hear from you."

That language is pointed. Prosecutors do not typically broadcast appeals for additional victims unless they have reason to believe the suspect's conduct extended beyond the charged offenses. Johnson's dual roles in the community, as a spiritual leader and a hands-on health practitioner, gave him a wide circle of contact with families and children.

Cases involving trusted community figures accused of child sex crimes have drawn intense public attention in recent months. A former NFL player was arrested on child sex crime charges in Texas, a reminder that predators can hide behind reputations built in entirely different arenas.

The scope investigators must determine

Several questions remain open. Investigators have not publicly confirmed how many children may have had contact with Johnson through his pastoral duties, his massage therapy practice, or both. They have not said whether any complaints or concerns were raised before the formal investigation began.

Prosecutors will also need to establish the precise timeline of the alleged abuse. Continuous sexual abuse charges require proof that the conduct occurred over a period of at least three months, a threshold that carries its own evidentiary demands.

Whether Johnson held any formal credentials or affiliations with a larger church organization has not been disclosed. That matters because institutional oversight, or the lack of it, often plays a role in how long alleged abusers operate before detection.

The entertainment world has faced its own reckoning with similar allegations. A Hollywood actor recently faced 24 felony counts after alleged years of sexual abuse of minors, a case that drew national scrutiny over how long abuse can persist when the accused holds social power.

What comes next

Johnson has been charged but not convicted. He is entitled to the presumption of innocence, and the case will proceed through the Ventura County Superior Court system. If additional victims come forward, prosecutors could file supplemental charges, potentially expanding both the scope and the severity of the case.

Defense counsel for Johnson has not been publicly identified, and no public statements from Johnson or a representative have been reported. How the defense chooses to respond to the charges and the DA's public appeal will shape the next phase of proceedings.

For the community in Ojai, a small city of roughly 7,500 in the hills above Ventura, the charges against a local pastor strike at the foundations of institutional trust. When the people charged with guiding a community's moral life stand accused of its worst betrayals, the damage runs deeper than any single courtroom can measure.