UGHS Superintendent Thomas Johnson pleads not guilty to two felony counts of possession of child pornography

KENOSHA, Wis. — Union Grove High School Superintendent Thomas Johnson entered not guilty pleas Thursday to two felony counts of possession of child pornography. "We've entered a plea of not guilty. Tom Johnson is entitled to the presumption of innocence," said Patrick Cafferty, attorney for Johnson following Thursday's hearing. Johnson is out of custody on a $250,000 cash bond and is on unpaid leave from his role with the school district. TMJ4 The investigation into Johnson began Oct. 22 when an anonymous letter was sent to the Racine County Sheriff's Office, reportedly written by a Union Grove Elementary School teacher who claimed to be having an affair with Johnson, according to the criminal complaint. The complaint said the writer of the letter claimed to have seen text messages "from what I think are passed or current students that are inappropriate" on Johnson's phone. The letter also indicated there were pictures as well and said Johnson threatened the letter writer's career. Kenosha County Union Grove High School superintendent charged in child pornography case Jay Sirkin During a forensic search of Johnson's phone, investigators said they found two images of nude underage girls. "We look forward to presenting his side of the story when the time is appropriate, but, right now, we are very early and don't have all of the information that we need to be able to do that," Cafferty said Thursday. When asked if Johnson has a message to share with Union Grove families, Cafferty replied, "What he says is he is presumed innocent and he has entered a plea of not guilty." Johnson is expected back in Kenosha County court for a judicial pretrial on Jan. 4 at 10:30 a.m. This is a developing story and will be updated. Let's talk: Hey there! At TMJ4 News, we're all about listening to our audience and tackling the stuff that really matters to you. Got a story idea, tip, or just want to chat about this piece? Hit us up using the form below. For more ways to get in touch, head over to tmj4.com/tips. Name Email Phone number Story you're commenting on Message Verification: Submit It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device. Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more. Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip