Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson provided an update on the sentencing of John Dushan Cole, 57, also known as Johnny Cole, following his conviction on serious child sexual crimes.
Cole was found guilty of:
One count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct
One count of aggravated child sexually abusive activity
One count of accosting a child for immoral purposes
On Monday, Cole was sentenced to 20 to 40 years in prison. Sheriff Swanson described Cole as a habitual offender who preys on vulnerable individuals, using a mentorship approach to gain trust.
“He uses the mentorship theme,” Swanson explained. “He uses community advocate, community supporter to gain the trust of a young victim, a 15-year-old. He was able to take that young victim and separate them from those who love them.”
The case was investigated extensively by the Genesee County Human Trafficking and Organized Sexual Predators Task Force (GHOST), with Cole remaining in custody awaiting sentencing.
Cole’s sentence exceeded initial recommendations. Sheriff Swanson noted that convicted offenders like Cole often serve their full sentence, especially repeat offenders.
