Former Columbia youth director pleads guilty to sex crimes

A former youth director in Columbia has pleaded guilty to child sex charges nearly a year and a half after he turned himself in to police.

Dale Johnson, who used to work at Parkade Baptist Church, pleaded guilty on Monday to statutory sodomy and promoting child pornography. Johnson was accused of molesting a young girl at his home and at the church. Investigators reported finding pictures of the abuse on Johnson’s church-issued computer.

Johnson’s sentencing has been scheduled for August 22. He faces up to seven years in prison for each charge.