GREENFIELD, MA — A jury convicted an Athol man of 10 crimes Wednesday following a three-day trial in Franklin County Superior Court.
Kenneth Johnson, 63, of Athol, was found guilty of two counts of aggravated rape and abuse of a child; five counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 years old; and single counts of intimidation of a witness, attempt to commit a crime, and accost/annoy another person.
He was found not guilty on a single count of intimidation of a witness.
The charges arose from repeated sexual abuse committed by Johnson between 2017 and 2020 against a female child who was under his care.
The abuse began when the victim was approximately 10 years old.
Shelley Johnson, 54, of Athol, Johnson’s wife, was also tried in connection with the case.
She was found guilty of one count of witness intimidation after evidence showed she instructed the victim not to report the abuse to police.
Assistant District Attorneys Lori Odierna and Stephanie Jimenez prosecuted the case with Victim Witness Advocate Karen Hernandez working closely with the victim.
Kenneth Johnson was represented by Attorneys Sean Smith and Rebecca Carter.
Shelley Johnson was represented by Attorney Richard Farrell.
Superior Court Judge Deepika Shukla presided over the trial.
The jury deliberated for a half day before reaching its verdict.
Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 18, 2026, at 2 p.m. in Franklin County Superior Court.
Each count of aggravated rape and abuse of a child carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life in state prison.
Each count of indecent assault and battery on a child carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in state prison.
Intimidation of a witness carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in state prison.
