Serial rapist who used local paper to find victims sentenced to 15 years

District Court Judge Melissa Goodwin sentenced Larry Todd Johnson, 45, to 15 years in prison for the attempted rape of an escort whose ad was placed in the Austin Chronicle last August. The sentencing comes at the end of a 2 day jury trial where prosecutors argued the North Austin man used the paper to prey on vulnerable women, while his defense argued that the man simply used it to assuage his loneliness.

"Without regard to occupation or circumstances, 'no' means 'no,' " Goodwin said.

In 1999, a call girl who listed her services in Austin's alternative weekly paper went to Johnson's house expecting to rub his back and dance naked for him, she testified during the sentencing portion of Johnson's latest trial. Once inside, the woman testified, Johnson put a rope around her neck and forced her to perform oral sex and beat her on the back with a belt.

"All I remember is, I thought I was going to die," said the woman, who is not being identified by the American-Statesman because she is the victim of sexual assault.

She said she escaped after her boyfriend knocked on the door. Johnson was convicted of several crimes in that case and went to prison.

In the latest case, a woman, who Johnson found in the Chronicle, went to his home in August to dance for him, but found herself with a bottomless Johnson. After asking to use Johnson's phone, the latest victim found herself struggling with him as he pulled her clothes off, but grabbed a knife from his pocket and only escaped with mionr injuries. Casner believes that other women were victimized, but did not report their victimization due to their occupation.

"They are part of the community," she said of the women. "They deserve protection."

Robert Aaron Mueller, Johnson's lawyer, stated that he used the Chronicle to cure his lonliness.