A staffer at a residential treatment program for girls in St. Petersburg was arrested Thursday on sexual battery charges, according to police records.
A 16-year-old girl at Les Peters Academy reported that Duran Johnson twice entered her room while she was alone, held her on her bed, removed her clothing and touched her genitals, according to the arrest affidavit.
Johnson, 42, was a coach-counselor at Les Peters Academy, the affidavit says. Records show he was being held Friday at the Pinellas County Jail on a $500,000 bond.
The Department of Juvenile Justice did not immediately respond Friday to a request for comment. A spokesperson for Rite of Passage, the private company that the department contracts with to run Les Peters, said it is “collaborating with state officials regarding this matter involving a former employee.”
Les Peters houses girls who are considered to be “moderate risk” by the Department of Juvenile Justice. The juvenile justice building at 3001 26th Ave. S. can hold 26 children, according to the department website. Judges sentence girls to residential treatment programs like Les Peters to get help before they reenter society.
“This program provides youth comprehensive care, treatment, supervision, and evidence-based intensive mental health services,” according to the department’s website. “Youth will also receive psychotherapeutic services, including individual, family, and group counseling while in the program.”
We want to hear from you: If you have a child in Florida’s juvenile justice system or work with kids in state custody, please contact Bethany Barnes at bbarnes@tampabay.com. Information can be shared confidentially. Bethany can also be reached securely via Signal at Betsbarnes.77.
