KALAMAZOO, Mich. — A Tennessee man has been sentenced to prison in connection with a 2013 sexual assault case in Kalamazoo, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office announced Thursday.
Roosevelt Johnson, 64, of Memphis and formerly of Kalamazoo, was sentenced on Monday to serve up to 35 years in prison.
He pleaded no contest Dec. 28 to first-degree criminal sexual conduct as a habitual offender, fourth offense.
The crime, which had not been reported, was discovered in 2016 through the Kalamazoo County Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI), as it allowed for the testing of the victim’s kit.
The kit was previously untested because it was believed that the only evidence inside it was that of the victim engaging in consensual sex with another minor.
One the kit was tested, it revealed two DNA profiles – the other minor and a match for Johnson, who has a history of domestic violence.
“The lengthy prison sentence in this case is entirely appropriate given the facts,” Nessel said. “Our communities must be protected against those who commit sexual assaults against children and other vulnerable victims. I appreciate the hard work put into resolving this case by the Kalamazoo County Prosecutor’s Office and the SAKI team and their commitment to pursuing justice on behalf of sexual assault victims.”
Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeffrey Getting agreed that the sentence was a “fitting punishment.”
“Mr. Johnson’s rape of this young victim, who was barely a teenager at the time, is deserving of every day of the sentence that he received,” Getting said.
The goal of the SAKI program is to address previously untested sexual assault kits and, when possible, provide resolutions for victims.
The Michigan Legislature funded the testing of all 3,600 untested rape kits across the state in 2013.
In 2016, funding was expanded include financial support for the investigation and prosecution of these cases.
SAKI has expanded over the years to include six counties.
