VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A former Virginia Beach police officer pleaded guilty in court on Tuesday.
Mark David Johnson was arrested back in March for one count of Forcible Sodomy of a minor, but on Tuesday he pleaded guilty to a count of Aggravated Sexual Battery.
In front of a judge, Johnson pleaded guilty to engaging in sex acts with a child. Aggravated Sexual Battery is still a felony, the penalty is not as serious as his original charge.
The court decided the next step for Johnson is a psychosexual evaluation. It evaluates the risk for re-offending or acting out sexually in the future.
Johnson is expected to be back in court on December 9.
Until then, Johnson will be held in the Virginia Beach Correctional Center. He is facing a maximum sentence of five years behind bars.
Johnson was employed with the department for 20 years before leaving in 2017.
According to the arrest warrants obtained by 13News Now, the crime occurred between August 29, 2015, and August 28, 2016, while he was working for the Virginia Beach Police Department.
The victim was a girl younger than 13 years old. Documents said the two knew each other.
Officials with Virginia Beach Police said they still have no comment on the case since they handled the criminal investigation.
During his video arraignment back in March, Johnson revealed he is a firefighter in Minnesota with a wife and three kids.
Below is Johnson's court statement of facts. WARNING: Graphic content