Warrant: Teen 'Touched' at Austell Center

An Austell man was arrested early Saturday in connection with the alleged sexual battery of a boy who lives at the Haven Heart Community Development Center.

Richard Monta Johnson, 18, also lives at the center, which is a transitional living program for young adults between the ages of 14 to 21 who have been abused or neglected.

Cobb police said that sometime between 10:44 p.m. Friday and 1:25 a.m. Saturday, Johnson "continuously touched the buttocks of the juvenile victim," and called "the juvenile victim 'gay' and other offensive names."

The boy warned Johnson that he would call the police if Johnson touched him again, according to a Cobb County criminal warrant. The warning did not faze Johnson, who allegedly issued a warning of his own. 

"The accused told the juvenile victim that if the juvenile victim contacted the police, accused would beat him," an officer wrote in the warrant.

At some point, the boy called police, and Johnson allegedly "struck the juvenile victim in the face repeatedly with a closed fist resulting in bruising and swelling of the juvenile's face and head area," the officer wrote in the warrant.

The incident was witnessed by a staff counselor, records show.

In addition to sexual battery, Johnson faces a battery charge. Both charges are misdemeanor offenses.

Johnson is in the Cobb County Adult Detention Center in lieu of a $5,000 bond.

"While transporting the accused to the county jail," the officer wrote in the warrant, "the accused stated that the juvenile victim was 'gay' and admitted to touching the victim."