Billionaire Heir to SC Johnson Fortune Accused of Molesting Teen Stepdaughter
Curt Johnson alleged to have fondled girl, exposed himself repeatedly
March 25, 2011— -- The billionaire scion of the SC Johnson fortune, a firm that calls itself the "family company," is accused of sexually molesting his 15-year-old stepdaughter for years.
Samuel Curtis Johnson III, whose family has owned the cleansers manufacturer for five generations, is indicted on charges of repeated sexual assaults on a child, according to prosecutors in Racine, Wisc.
The charge carries a maximum prison term of 40 years and a $100,000 penalty.
Johnson, 55, did not enter a plea during a court appearance Thursday, but immediately paid a $500,000 bond. He was released, forced to surrender his passport and banned from leaving the state or being in proximity to the girl.
"The complaint alleges that Johnson had inappropriate sexual contact with his now 15-year-old stepdaughter," Assistant District Attorney Robert Repishak told ABC News.com.
Johnson is accused of molesting the girl 15 to 20 times, beginning the summer between sixth and seventh grade, Repishak said.
The girl describes her stepfather as "very sexual" telling police he was a "sex addict" and had a "touching problem," according to court documents.
The girl says Johnson would enter her bedroom at night and fondle her breasts, buttocks and vaginal area, the court documents state. According to the documents, the girl told investigators that Johnson "used his mouth to molest her," exposing himself through his pajama pants and frequently asking her for intercourse.
According to court documents the girl told her mother about the abuse in November in an effort to protect her younger sister.
When Johnson's wife confronted him with the allegation, he immediately confessed to her, according to Repishak.
Johnson resigned in February as CEO of Diversey Inc., a cleaning products company spun off from family-owned SC Johnson in the 1990s.
Johnson's brother is the CEO of SC Johnson, which manufactures household cleaning products like Fantastik, Windex and Draino.
Johnson is estimated to be worth $2.2 billion and is ranked 595 on the Forbe's Billionaires List.
Billionaire Johnson Heir Charged With Molesting Stepdaughter
Calls to Johnson's lawyer Michael Hart were not returned.
"Obviously, this is a personal matter for Curt," said Harlan Loeb, a crisis communications expert serving as the family's spokesman. "Allegations of this nature are always deeply disturbing. The family is distraught and very much hopes for the best for everyone involved."